Himachal minister approaches speaker invoking anti-defection law against 3 MLAs
The three MLAs' petition is pending in the high court against the Speaker for not approving their resignation from the State Legislative Assembly.
On the first day of the 14th Himachal Legislative Assembly session, pro tem Speaker Chander Kumar administered oath to all the newly elected members at Dharamshala.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was the first to take an oath. After him, it was Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and then Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur who took the oath. Thereafter, the MLAs took turns in the order of the assembly seat and it started with MLA Churah and former deputy Speaker, Hans Raj, and ended with MLA Kinnaur Jagat Singh Negi.
A total of 11 MLAs took oath in English. These included MLAs Neeraj Nayyar, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Hoshiar Singh, RS Bali, Ashish Butail, Bhuvneshwar Gaur, Vinod Sultanpuri, Harish Janartha, Vikramaditya Singh, Nand Lal, and Jagat Singh Negi.
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A large number of Congress workers and supporters of the MLAs had come to watch the proceedings of the assembly. Applause also kept ringing from the audience gallery. On this, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur raised the matter of order in the House.
Then protem Speaker Chander Kumar said that clapping or standing in the audience gallery is against rules. After that, the applause stopped.
During the proceedings, MP and State Congress President Pratibha Singh, former Assembly Speaker BB Butail, former minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Political Advisor to CM Sunil Kumar Bittu, and Principal Media Advisor Naresh Chauhan were also present in the Speaker’s Gallery.
Most of the MLAs were seen searching for their respective seats on the first day of the session. A total of 23 members in the present House have been elected for the first time. They didn’t have much knowledge about arrangements in the House.
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