Goa turmoil: Disqualification petitions against Congress MLAs Michael Lobo, Digambar Kamat admitted

The Congress had accused Lobo and Kamat of conspiring against it in connivance with the BJP

The disqualification petitions filed by the Congress against two of its MLAs has been admitted, Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar said on Tuesday. The Congress leadership in the coastal state had alleged that its MLAs Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat were trying to split the party in connivance with the ruling BJP.

The Congress had announced it was removing Lobo as Leader of Opposition, while Kamat was absent from a meeting of the party held on Monday night.

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Speaking to reporters on the second day of the monsoon session of the state Assembly, Tawadkar said, "I have received two disqualification petitions filed by the Congress party against Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo and Congress MLA Digambar Kamat."

"Goa Congress president Amit Patkar filed the disqualification petitions on Monday. However, since I was not available yesterday, I met the petitioner today. The petitions will be taken up for consideration after the current Assembly session gets over," he added.

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Tawadkar said Lobo continued to be LoP as of now because the Congress Legislative Party was yet to inform him about who it wished to name for the post.

Lobo and Kamat have been accused of anti-party activities by Congress' Goa desk in charge Dinesh Gundu Rao and state unit chief Amit Patkar.