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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Congress victory in bypolls not a clean chit to CM in MUDA case: R Ashoka
Srirangapatna (Karnataka), Nov 24: The Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka on Sunday said the Congress party’s victory in the bypolls held for three assembly constituencies is not a clean chit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam.
He said the case is still going on in the court of law.
“MUDA case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is still in court but he is calling the bye-election result itself as a clean chit. Only courts can give clean chit and not the elections,” Ashoka said while addressing a gathering in Taggalli in Srirangapatna.
Later, speaking to reporters, Ashoka said results of the bypoll held for three assembly constituencies of Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur is a victory of money and not a victory of Congress. The BJP leader said his party’s fight will continue against the corruption of the Congress government.
ALSO READ; Have won in people’s court, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on by-poll results
Separately, in a post on social media ‘X’, Ashoka said the ruling Congress is under the illusion that they have won three worlds just by winning the by-election by diverting money and winning the votes of one community through appeasement politics.
He took a dig at Siddaramaiah for his statement that the opposition had spread lies with regard to the allegation of "Rs 89 crore embezzlement" in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation.
“Didn't you yourself admit in the Karnataka assembly that crores of money were misappropriated in the Valmiki Corporation, is that a lie?” Ashoka questioned.
He has also asked the CM whether returning of 14 sites by his wife Parvathi B M in the MUDA scam was an indirect confession of his crime. “Is it a lie when the Karnataka High Court loudly said that an investigation is needed against you in the MUDA scam?” the BJP leader asked.
