Imphal, Nov 1 (IANS): A court here on Friday cancelled the expulsion order of former spokesperson of the Manipur unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chongtham Bijoy Singh, from the party.
Singh, who had filed a plea against the expulsion, had been a member of the BJP since 1994 and served as the chief spokesperson. He was expelled for six years in February 2022, "for anti-party activities".
According to the petitioner, he was expelled from the party without any prior notice or opportunity to defend himself, violating principles of natural justice.
The court found that expulsion had violated the principles of natural justice and the party's own disciplinary procedures, which require a show-cause notice and a chance to respond before any such action is taken.
Judge Bonny Laishram in his order stated that the defendant failed to follow the necessary protocols outlined in the BJP's constitution.
The counsel for the petitioner, Ningombam Bupenda Meitei, while talking to the mediapersons underlined the importance of upholding members’ rights within political organisations and highlighted the court’s affirmation of due process.
The court earlier summoned state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi in connection with the case.
Singh was expelled for six years for allegedly violating the party's rules and regulations, after he called ally National People's Party (NPP) a "parasite that had proved a menace" to the ruling coalition in the past five years.
The NPP, headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, has been an ally of the BJP government in Manipur since 2017 but in the Assembly elections in February 2022 both the parties are contesting against each other.
Singh had also said he would support the Janata Dal-United candidate from Uripok, Kh Suresh, in the 2022 assembly elections as he was keen to contest the polls from this seat on a BJP ticket.
He claimed that party candidate Raghumani, despite being "a corrupt man", got the BJP ticket for seat on the recommendation of "influential persons".