Assembly hearing on four NCP MLAs who defected to Congress on January 30, 31

The much-awaited assembly hearing on the petition for disqualification of four NCP MLAs who defected to Congress in Arunachal Pradesh over a year ago has been fixed on January 30 and January 31, assembly secretariat sources said today.

The petition seeking disqualification of the defected NCP MLAs who joined Congress in October 8, 2012 was filed by Peoples Party of Arunachal under the Anti-defection Law. The state unit of NCP too had sought the disqualification of the four MLAs and wrote to Speaker Wangling Lowandong on November 13 last year as per the directive of its central leadership.

The four MLAs are Techi Kaso, Alo Libang, Bamang Felix and Ralom Borang.

PPA president Nikh Kamin welcoming the speaker's move said the court of the speaker after perusing submissions of the two parties had served hearing notices to the defected NCP MLAs, including the CLP leader and Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and the petitioners.

The NCP in its petition had said the speaker should use his statutory power and uphold Article 191(2) of Constitution and the Members of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on ground of defection rules) 1987 against the four MLAs.