the goan I network
PANAJI
Not giving up the fight against the disqualification of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, the Congress has approached the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Bombay High Court against the Valpoi MLA.
“The petition was filed on January 20 before the SC. I was given green signal by party high command. I had discussed it long back with GPCC president. Hearing is likely to be scheduled in February,” All India Congress Committee secretary Dr A Chellakumar told the media.
It may be recalled thatChellakumar,then Congress president Luizinho Faleiro, Leader of Opposition Babu Kavalekar and other 13 Congress MLAs with the exception of Poriem MLA Pratapsing Raoji Rane, had filed a writ petition before the HC in mid-May last year seeking the disqualification of Vishwajit Rane from contesting elections to the Goa Legislative Assembly till March 15, 2022.
The petition prayed that Rane be restrained from holding the position of an MLA and also ministerial berths till the end of the present tenure of the Assembly.
Rane stepped down as the Valpoi MLA and quit the Congress after abstaining from voting on the confidence motion moved by the BJP coalition government on the floor of the House. In doing so, he defied the party whip served on him, the receipt of which he had acknowledged by
signing.
Rane then voluntarily submitted his resignation during the second half of the session, which was accepted by the Speaker without much ado.
