Goa Speaker Dismisses Disqualification Petition Against 8 Cong MLAs Who Joined BJP

The disqualification petition was filed by former Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar against MLAs.

Panaji:Goa assembly speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Friday dismissed the disqualification petition filed by the Congress against eight of its MLAs who defected to the ruling BJP.

The disqualification petition was filed by former Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar against MLAs Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Sequeira, Sankalp Amonkar, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rudolf Fernandes and Rajesh Faldesai.

Chodankar, in his petition, had sought that the speaker disqualify these eight MLAs under Para 2 of the Tenth Schedule read with Article 191 of the Constitution on the ground that they had voluntarily given up the membership of the original party (Congress) on the tickets of which they had contested for the 8th Goa legislative assembly and had won.

In his plea, Chodankar said there was no valid merger of the original political party in this case.

Dismissing Chodankar's petition, speaker Tawadkar ruled that "upon the merger of the original political party of the elected member with another political party, the elected member will not face disqualification in either contingency i.e. whether he chooses to go with the merger or disagrees with the same".

Disqualification on grounds of defection will not apply in case of a merger, Tawadkar ruled.