PANAJI
Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao on Monday met Goa Legislative Assembly speaker Rajesh Patnekar and conveyed to him in writing that he, as its lone MLA, has merged the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislative wing into the Trinamool Congress.
“I continue to be an MLA, why should I resign? I have merged the NCP legislative wing into the TMC,” Churchill later told journalists at the legislature complex in Porvorim.
In the letter to the Speaker, Churchill said since he is the lone MLA, he thus constitutes not less than two-thirds of the legislative group of NCP in the Goa Assembly.
Alemao in his letter to Patnekar has cited provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to claim that he will function as the legislative wing of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and sought a separate seat.
Reacting to the development, Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat questioned as to whether it will be considered a valid merger or Churchill will be disqualified in accordance with the tenth schedule of the constitution.
“Will the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly allow the merger of NCP into TMC in Goa to endorse Goa Congress’s stand that TMC is part of BJP Parivaar or disqualify the lone NCP MLA in accordance with the Xth Schedule of the Constitution?” asked Kamat.
