Himachal Assembly speaker accepts resignations of 3 Independent MLAs

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania has accepted the resignation of the three independent legislators.

Speaker Pathania told ANI that all other cases and petitions in the matter will remain infrutious.

"They gave their resignations on March 22, 2024. I have accepted those. Now they seize to be the members of the 14th Assembly. That will be notified and published in the gazette and the information will be sent to the Election Commission of India. The matter under anti-defection law on the petition of parallel proceedings on the petition of Jagat Singh is listed but the result of both would be the same if I accept their resignation or take action under violation of anti-defection Law," Pathania said.

"I have not taken any harsh decisions and have decided to accept their resignations as per their wish. The Chief Justice of the high court had said that they couldn't interfere in the jurisdiction of the speaker and another judge had the opinion that the court can't intervene but can restrict time so there was a difference of opinion and the matter was referred to the third judge. The acceptance of non-acceptance of the resignation is my domain and I have accepted it. And the other matters in this would remain infrutious," Pathania added.

The former independent MLA and BJP leader KL Thakur said, "They wanted the speaker to accept their resignations immediately".

"We wanted them to have accepted it either on March 22 or 23 but they did it today. It is the prerogative of the speaker. We did not want any burden on the state, so we wanted no additional burden of model code of conduct on the people. It doesn't fall under anti-defection law as we had resigned on March 22 and joined the BJP on the next day," Thakur said.

Three independent MLAs Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra, Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur and KL Thakur from Nalagarh assembly constituency had submitted their resignations to the speaker on March 22,2024.

Earlier three Independent MLAs moved Himachal Pradesh High Court challenging the HP Assembly speaker for not accepting their resignations.