SC asks Arunachal Pradesh governor not to convene assembly till 18 January

Later, various decisions of the Governor and the Deputy Speaker were challenged by Rebia in Gauhati High Court which passed an interim order keeping in abeyance the decisions of Governor and Deputy Speaker till February one.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Arunachal Pradesh governor not to convene the assembly session till January 18 as it was hearing a plea by Speaker Nabam Rebia challenging his ouster and the administrative decision of the high court to change the bench hearing his matter.

In a judgment which will have serious ramification in the political scenario of Arunachal, Justice T Vaiphei, chief justice (acting) and Justice M R Pathak while dismissing the petition said there is no merit in the writ petition. On 15 December, deputy speaker reinstated these 14 MLAs.

Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and his 26 supporting MLAs had boycotted the proceedings.

With this latest development, the strength of Congress in the 60-member House has come down to 45, while BJP has 11 legislators.

Rebia was removed from the post of the Speaker by 14 rebel Congress MLAs, disqualified by the Speaker, and BJP MLAs on December 16 in an assembly session presided over by the Deputy Speaker in a Community Hall in Itanagar.

Article 175 is on the right of the Governor to address and send messages to the House or Houses. The last session of the legislative assembly was held in July. Governor J.P. Rajkhowa had listed removal of the speaker for 16 December.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a freeze on the holding of proceedings of the politically embattled Arunachal Pradesh Assembly till January 18, 2016.