IMPHAL, March 28 - The Manipur Assembly Speaker�s Tribunal today disqualified Thounaojam Shyamkumar as an MLA. He had earlier held the portfolio of Forest and Environment in the State Cabinet.
�The respondent (Shyamkumar), thus, ceases to be a member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly with immediate effect from this date, i.e.,28-03-2020 till the expiry of the term of this assembly, i.e., 11th Legislative Assembly of Manipur,� stated the order of the Speaker�s Tribunal.
�Hence, this Tribunal came to the conclusion that the respondent had clearly violated the provision of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India and is liable to be punished as per the provision of the Constitution to uphold the dignity of democracy and the mandate of the people,� the order added.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had restrained Shyamkumar from entering the Assembly and stripped him of his ministerial post in response to a disqualification petition filed against him.
The Secretary of the Manipur Legislative Assembly today notified that after his (Shyamkumar�s) disqualification, the Andro Assembly constituency seat has fallen vacant.
Meanwhile, Opposition Congress MLA K Meghachandra, who represents the Wangkhem Assembly constituency, has welcomed the order. In a statement, the Congress MLA said, �I welcome the justice delivered by the Speaker, but it is too late as it has already affected the democratic rights of the people.�
Shyamkumar was elected in the 2017 Assembly elections on a Congress ticket. But he switched to the BJP and became a minister in the BJP-led coalition Government.
On March 26, Shyamkumar had written a letter to the Speaker of the Manipur Assembly, expressing his willingness to resign.
