Goa Speaker dismisses disqualification petition against former CM Kamat, Lobo

Panaji, May 9 (IANS) Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Thursday dismissed a disqualification petition filed by Congress against former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and MLA Michael Lobo.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar filed the disqualification petition on July 11, 2022, against its then-two leaders Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo for anti-party activities, who later joined the BJP.

Speaking to media persons, Amit Patkar said that the result was expected as the Speaker works on the instructions of the BJP government.

“Our legal team is evaluating what has to be done next. We demand that the Speaker start hearing of other disqualification petitions filed against eight MLAs, who switched parties,” Patkar said.

He said that the Speaker had submitted an affidavit to the High Court stating once this petition is disposed of pending petitions will be heard.

“As per the Supreme Court’s judgement, he has to decide on these petitions within 90 days. Still, if he fails, then we will take further legal remedies,” Patkar said.

In July 2022, Congress removed Michael Lobo as Leader of the Opposition alleging he was one who hatched a conspiracy, along with former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, by hobnobbing BJP to split Congress MLAs.

Patkar said that the Supreme Court judgment says anti-party activities amount to voluntarily giving up party membership. “We have evidence against them to prove that both were involved in anti-party activities and were trying to split MLAs,” he said.

Later on September 14, 2022, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Rajesh Faldesai, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes merged the Congress into BJP, reducing Congress to 3 MLA’s in 40 members assembly House.

Subsequently, Congress had filed a disqualification petition before Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar against all eight MLAs, who had switched to the BJP on September 14.

Two more individual petitions were filed by former AICC secretary Girish Chodankar and Dominic Noronha against these 8 MLAs.

Claiming that the merger of these 8 MLAs is invalid, Chodankar had pleaded to disqualify them as members of the Goa State Legislative Assembly under Article 191 (2) para 2 of Constitution of India r/w para 2 (1) (a) of tenth schedule of the constitution of India.

Congress leaders on many occasions have alleged that Ramesh Tawadkar is delaying the hearings of these petitions.

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