SC upholds Centre's decision to nominate 3 BJP MLAs to Puducherry Assembly

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Centre's decision nominating three BJP leaders as MLAs to Puducherry Assembly.

The top court rejected the two appeals against the Madras High Court order of 22 March upholding the nomination of the three legislators.

A bench of justices A K Sikri, Ashok Bhushan and SA Abdul Nazeer said, "We uphold the impugned judgment of the Madras High Court".

On July 19, the apex court had asked the Puducherry Assembly Speaker to allow the three nominated BJP leaders to function as MLAs and refused to stay the order of the Madras High Court.

The High Court had upheld the nomination of BJP members V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapathy to the Assembly by the Centre and their swearing-in by Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on July 4 last year.

The Congress government had opposed their nomination.

The HC had also held as invalid the Speaker's order cancelling the nominations of the MLAs.