Three Independent MLAs to Approach Himachal Pradesh High Court Over Resignation Rejection

Shimla, April 1: Three independent MLAs from Himachal Pradesh will seek the intervention of the state’s High Court after their resignations were not accepted. MLA Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur, Hoshiar Singh from Dehra, and K.L. Thakur from Nalagarh will file a petition in the High Court on Tuesday. The trio had submitted their resignations to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, ten days ago. However, since the Speaker has not yet accepted their resignations, the MLAs will seek legal recourse.

As the Speaker has not yet accepted their resignations, the three MLAs will approach the High Court to ensure their resignations are acknowledged. Earlier, on March 22, the MLAs had submitted their resignations to the Legislative Assembly Secretary. Later, they met with Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania personally and requested the acceptance of their resignations. Subsequently, they also met with Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. The following day, on March 23, all three MLAs joined the BJP in Delhi. Independent MLA Hoshiar Singh stated that if their resignations are not accepted, they will file a petition in the High Court on Tuesday.

It’s worth noting that two Cabinet ministers of the Sukhu government, Jagat Singh Negi and Rohit Thakur, have complained to the Speaker regarding the resignation of the three independent MLAs. They alleged that despite being elected for a five-year term, the MLAs are resigning within 15 months. It seems they are under pressure. In response to this complaint, the Speaker has sent notices to the independent MLAs, asking for their response by April 10. In this situation, the MLAs are in a dilemma if their resignations are not accepted.

Moreover, the Governor of the state, Shiv Pratap Shukla, has indicated that the matter is under the purview of the Legislative Assembly Speaker, and he cannot intervene in this matter. In case their resignations are not accepted, the three independent MLAs had staged a protest outside the assembly premises two days ago to express their opposition. The independent MLAs allege that the Speaker is working under the pressure of the government. They have clarified that they voluntarily submitted their resignations without any coercion and the Speaker should accept them immediately.

In fact, during the by-election for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh on February 27, the three independent MLAs had cast their votes in favor of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan. However, before this, the independent MLAs were supporting the Congress government in the state.