SC disposes of Madan Dilawar's plea against merger of Rajasthan BSP MLAs with Congress

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra disposed of a petition filed by BJP MLA Madan Dilawar against the merger of six Rajasthan BSP MLAs with the ruling Congress party.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of a petition filed by BJP MLA Madan Dilawar against the merger of six Rajasthan BSP MLAs with the ruling Congress party after it was informed that Rajasthan High Court has asked the Speaker CP Joshi to decide the matter within three months.

A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly, that the High Court has delivered its judgement and asked the Speaker to decide the matter within three months.

Sibal said that Rajasthan High Court has concluded the case and granted time to the Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly to decide on the merits of the disqualification petition filed against the BSP MLAs within the stipulated time.

Justice Arun Mishra said that the case is now infructuous and disposed of the matter. "We have accommodated you all, but the case is now infructuous," the bench said.

Dilawar had challenged the Rajasthan High Court order refusing to stay the merger of six BSP MLAs in the state with the Congress party.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to pass any interim orders remarking that it would be inappropriate for it to hear the case since the matter was pending and part heard before a single-judge bench of the Rajasthan High Court.

Earlier today, the Rajasthan High Court dismissed petitions filed by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and BJP MLA Madan Dilawar against the merger and asked the Assembly Speaker to take a decision on the matter.

The single-judge bench of the High Court had earlier not granted any interim relief and refused to stay the participation of six MLAs in the proceedings of the House as Congress legislators.

Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, Deepchand Kheria, Lakhan Meena, Jogendra Awana and Rajendra Gudha had contested and won the 2018 Assembly elections on a BSP ticket but had later joined the Congress party in September 2019.

Dilawar has challenged the merger of the BSP MLAs with the Congress party questioning the Assembly Speaker CP Joshi's order dismissing his complaint without allowing him to have his say.

(ANI)