Delay in hearing MLAs disqualification cases make them infructuous

NEW DELHI: Senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that some element of urgency is required for cases of disqualification, under the Tenth Schedule. Sibal's comments came as the top court disposed of the plea that dealt with the issue of pendency of disqualification proceedings against Congress MLAs who switched to BJP and were appointed as ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh, after it was informed bypolls have been held in the state, as a consequence the matter has become infructuous.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian was informed by Sibal, representing petitioner Congress MLA VinaySaxena, that bypolls for 28 Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh have been held on Tuesday.

Sibal added after the bypolls their fate will be decided through the poll. But, Sibal did not mince words in expressing his dissatisfaction over the delay in deciding the matter. "The delay from March to November has rendered the matter infructuous," he added.

Sibal expressed anguish over the delay in the hearing of such matter and cited that similar cases in other states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa etc. have been pending for long. He told the bench that disqualification cases need to be taken up on priority, and insisted that some element of urgency should be attached while taking up matters connected with the Tenth Schedule. (IANS) 

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