SHIMLA, March 12 -- Six disqualified Congress MLAs have not yet got relief from the Supreme Court, prolonging their ordeal for some more days out of Himachal Pradesh.

The case was listed before the bench comprising Justices Sanjeev Khanna, Dipankar Dutta and P K Mishra, which decided to take-up the matter on March 18. During Tuesday's hearing the three-member bench however asked the counsel for the disqualified MLAs as to why they did not approach the state High Court to challenge their disqualifications.

The rebels were disqualified by the state Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania for defying the party whip during the passing of the state's budget for year 2024-25 in the state assembly on February 29-a day after their cross-voted in favour of the BJP candidate for Rajya Sabha.

The congress had fielded Abhishek Manu Singhvi for the lone Rajya Sabha seat but the Congress despite having 40 MLAs in the 68-Assembly against 25 of the BJP, lost the seat to Harsh Mahajan, BJP candidate.

The rebels hoped to get relief from the Supreme Court and thereafter return home. It looks like they have to wait for a few more days.

In the petition, they have alleged that they were not given adequate opportunity to respond to the disqualification petition filed against them by the party before the speaker, who announced the decision within 18 hours after filing of the petition.

The MLAs submitted that it amounted to violation of the principles of natural justice. Two BJP MLAs - Bikram Singh and Rakesh Jamwal are escorting the rebels as per party's plans. There are three independents also with the congress rebels. The disqualified MLAs include Chaitanya Sharma, Devendra Kumar Bhutto, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Rajendra Rana, Ravi Thakur and Sudhir Sharma.

In the petition, Congress rebels have also made State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harsh Vardhan Chauhan a party along with Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania. Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu have accused the BJP of a calculated bid to topple a duly elected MLAs through hoarse trading MLAs.

Sukhu has put most of his MLAs under close surveillance fearing the BJP poaching. Few of them have been given police protections and told to keep the chief minister informed about their location. Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur has termed the FIR lodged against six rebel Congress MLAs as 'unfortunate' and an attempt to put pressure on the rebels through misuse of power.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.