Goa speaker receives two disqualification petitions against 8 Cong MLAs who joined BJP

Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Monday said he has received two disqualification petitions against eight MLAs of Congress who joined BJP recently.Tawadkar said he will study these petitions before giving notice to the parties.

Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Monday said he has received two disqualification petitions against eight MLAs of Congress who joined BJP recently.

Tawadkar said he will study these petitions before giving notice to the parties. He said two disqualification petitions, including the one filed by former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar, were filed before him on Monday.

The speaker didn't name who the other petitioner was. “I will have to study the petitions and then give all the parties proper notice for the hearing,” he said. The Speaker said he has to decide whether to treat both petitions separately or club them.

The hearing on these petitions will start in the next 15-20 days, he added.

A group of eight Congress MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in September, reducing the strength of the opposition party in Goa House to three. The BJP's tally increased to 28 in the 40-member Assembly.