(Repeating with corrections in first and second para)

New Delhi, Dec 11 (UNI) The Supreme Court today dismissed six former Haryana MLAs' petitions challenging their disqualification by the then State Assembly Speaker under the anti-defection law when Mr Om Prakash Chauthala was the Chief Minister.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justices C K Thakkar and P K Balasubramanyan dismissed the petitions of Jagjit Singh, Bhim Sen Mehta, Devraj Dewan, Karan Singh Dalal, Jai Prakash and Rajinder Singh Bisla, who had defected to Congress on the eve of the Rajya Sabha elections in 2004.

The apex court said the petitions were devoid of merit as their total strength was less than the requisite strength and hence their act of changing the party cannot be called a split and therefore, they were liable to be disqualified under the provisions of the anti-defection law.

Earlier, the court had stayed the Speaker's order disqualifying the petitioners.

UNI AKS SC SY BD2007