The Gauhati high court on Monday directed Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nabam Rebia not to convene any session of the assembly till the court disposes of the petition of dissident Congress MLAs challenging the earlier order of the court. On December 17, a single-judge bench of the Gauhati HC had put all decisions taken by the legislators at that “Assembly session”, along with the governor’s decision to advance the session by a month, in abeyance until February 1, 2016. The court has now fixed the matter for hearing on January 4, 2016. About 34 dissident Congress MLAs had moved Gauhati high court on Monday challenging the order of single-judge bench Justice Hrishikesh Roy.
The lawyers appearing for dissident Congress legislators said, “The court heard us and admitted our petition.”
The next hearing will be on January 4 till than Speaker has been asked not convene any session of the assembly.”
Meanwhile, political crisis continues to rock the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh with reports of some more Congress MLAs approaching the dissident camp to switch side.
The insiders in the Congress party told this newspaper that at least three more Congress MLAs have deserted Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki and expressed willingness of joining the dissident camp.
Sources said that remaining 26 MLAs of the Tuki-camp have been kept under strict surveillance at Itanagar with fear of more legislators switching side.
