Goa Speaker rejects plea to disqualify 8 Congress MLAs who joined BJP
Panaji: Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar has dismissed the disqualification petition against eight MLAs who switched allegiance from Congress to the BJP in September 2022. Citing a recent Supreme Court ruling and a similar case, Dominic Noronha vs Digambar Kamat, the Speaker stated that since two-thirds of the Congress legislature party had supported the merger, the MLAs were protected under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution and would not face disqualification.
The petition, filed by former state Congress president Girish Chodankar, sought to disqualify MLAs Michael Lobo, Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Sequeira, Sankalp Amonkar, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldessai, and Rodolfo Fernandes. Chodankar argued that by joining the BJP, the MLAs had voluntarily given up their Congress membership, warranting disqualification to prevent defection. Represented by Advocate Abhijit Gosavi, he emphasised the importance of party loyalty in a democratic setup, in line with the objective of the 10th Schedule.
However, the MLAs argued that they constituted two-thirds of the Congress legislature party and thus, legally merged with the BJP. They referenced the recent dismissal of a similar petition in the Noronha vs Kamat case. The Speaker supported this view, ruling that the disqualification claim was both factually and legally unfounded.
Chodankar, dissatisfied with the decision, announced plans to challenge the order in either the High Court or the Supreme Court.
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K'taka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar counters PM's criticism, highlights state's 10.2 per cent GDP growth
Bengaluru, Nov 2: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for criticising Congress over poll promises, citing data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
He said that the state’s GDP growth for 2023-24 is 10.2 per cent, surpassing the national average of 8.2 per cent.
In a post on 'X', Modi on Friday said that in Karnataka, Congress is more focused on intra-party politics and “loot” than delivering on development, even planning to roll back existing schemes.
Sharing Modi’s post, Shivakumar responded, citing MoSPI data: "Karnataka’s GSDP growth for 2023-24 is 10.2 per cent, surpassing the national average of 8.2 per cent."
ALSO READ: CM Siddaramaiah asks PM Modi to look at BJP Karnataka's 'disastrous legacy'
"These are facts, backed by figures, supported by credible sources. The question is: do these facts even reach the Union government, or do they miss those who formulate tweets for the highest offices at the Centre?" he posted on 'X'.
Meanwhile, Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised PM Modi, alleging he was “ill-informed” and relying on briefings from his social media team rather than the finance minister.
Kharge noted that the National Statistical Estimates had initially projected Karnataka’s growth at 4 per cent, later revised to 13.1 per cent. "Despite providing guarantees and facing severe drought, we’ve managed to grow exponentially," he told reporters here.
As per the data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI),Karnataka's GSDP growth for 2023-24 is 10.2% surpassing the national average of 8.2%.
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) November 2, 2024
Now,
💡 These are facts.
💡 These facts are backed by figures.
💡 These figures are supported by credible… https://t.co/871XvX7Y3q
