PANAJI
Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Ramesh Tawadkar on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on the disqualification petition against the eight rebel Congress MLAs to November 27 after the respondents sought time to place their arguments.
Total three disqualification petitions- two filed by Congress president Amit Patkar against the eight rebel MLAs and a separate plea against Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo for instrumenting the switch over, while another petition is filed by former Congress President Girish Chodankar against the eight defectors.
Speaking to The Goan, Tawadkar said that the respondents have sought time to place their arguments and accordingly the matter is adjourned till November 27. Last month, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Speaker and the eight MLAs, who switched over from the Congress to the BJP in September, last year. Chodankar had moved the Supreme Court pointing out that despite directions by the High Court, the Speaker failed to decide the disqualification petition.
The petitioners before the Speaker has sought disqualification of the eight MLAs under the Tenth Schedule of Constitution of India and has prayed that pending hearing and final disposal of the matter, the MLAs be restrained from functioning as Members of the State Legislative Assembly and from holding any Constitutional post or office of profit.
The disqualification plea has been filed against Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo and his wife Delilah, Aleixo Sequeira, Sankalp Amonkar, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Phal Dessai and Rudolfo Fernandes.
