Goa Speaker summons state Congress chief over disqualification plea

The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president has filed a disqualification petition against 10 MLAs who had left the party to join BJP

Goa Speaker Rajesh Patnekar on Friday summoned state Congress chief Girish Chodankar and dismissed an application seeking to produce an additional document in connection with the disqualification petition filed against 10 MLAs.

The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president has filed a disqualification petition against 10 MLAs who had left the party to join the BJP in 2019.

The Speaker had heard the arguments in the matter on February 26, and the reserve on it is pending.

The Speaker summoned Chodankar and informed him that one of his applications seeking to produce an additional document has been dismissed.

Speaking to reporters, Chodankar's lawyer Abhijit Gosawi said they had sought to produce an additional document in the matter.

The Speaker was requested to give his verdict in the matter as soon as possible, as the final arguments in it were already heard on February 26.

Ten MLAs, led by former Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, had split from the Congress in July 2019 and joined the BJP.

Kavlekar is currently the deputy chief minister in the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet.

The disqualification petition argues that the split by the MLAs was not valid and it attracts the anti-defection law, Gosawi said.