ITANAGAR, 28 Sep: The Gauhati high court has dismissed an intra-court appeal filed by former members of the Lower Subansiri district zilla parishad, challenging a previous ruling that disqualified them from their posts.
The dismissal by the double bench follows a decision made by a single judge on 30 May, 2024, which upheld the deputy commissioner’s 14 May, 2024 order that cited violations of the Defection Act.
The appellants, elected as zilla parishad members from various constituencies under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had announced their merger with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Ajit Pawar) with more than 2/3 majority on 28 March, 2024, just prior to the legislative assembly elections.
This action, along with their resignation from the BJP, led to their disqualification, as outlined in Section 3(1)(a) of the Arunachal Pradesh Local Authorities (Prohibition of Defection) Act.
The court noted that, despite the creation of the new Keyi Panyor district from parts of Lower Subansiri, a separate zilla parishad for the new district had not yet been formed, complicating the political landscape under Section 85 of the Arunachal Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act.
The appellants were Likha Sang Chhore, Nilly Likha Tabo, Khode Dipung, and Gem Aiti.
