Shillong, Dec 11: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Vincent H Pala on Friday expressed confidence that all 12 MLAs, who recently defected to the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), will be disqualified as per the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India.

“I am very confident that they will be disqualified at any cost,” said Pala while disagreeing with the stand of the Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Parliamentary Affairs Prestone Tynsong that the 12 MLAs are not subjected to disqualification.

Stating that as per the Tenth Schedule, a merger has to be party to party, the Shillong MP however said, “There is no denying the fact that the 12 MLAs have got the numbers to split the party but they should come out of the Congress, form a party and that party will merge with another party.”

“I have (also) discussed this issue with many of the lawyers in Delhi, who said that hundred percent these MLAs will be disqualified because the system they have followed is not as per the Tenth Schedule,” he added.

CLP leader Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday submitted the last batch of petitions before the Speaker seeking the disqualification of two remaining members – Nongthymmai legislator Charles Pyngrope and Sutnga-Saipung legislator Shitlang Pale.

Earlier, petitions were filed against former chief minister Dr. Mukul Sangma and 9 other MLAs who defected to the AITC.

On Tynsong’s allegation that Congress is a sinking ship, Pala said, “When he (Tynsong) left the party he thought that the Congress is gone but the Congress is still here.”

He said this is not the first time that people have left the Congress. “When late PA Sangma left the party they also said Congress will be wiped out but Congress is still there (till today),” he said.