10 turncoat MLAs given time to reply to disqualification plea

Team Herald

PANJIM: The ten former Congress MLAs, who switched over to BJP last July, have been given time by the Speaker Rajesh Patnekar to reply to the disqualification cases filed against them by their former party.

The hearing in the case was held nearly a month after the Supreme Court asked the Parliament to rethink over the Speaker’s power in deciding petitions seeking disqualification of lawmakers.

The Supreme Court had observed that the Speaker also belongs to a political party and they should think of appointing a retired Supreme Court judge to conduct such hearings.

On Thursday, lawyers of the 10 respondents (MLAs) and the petitioner, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar, appeared before the Speaker.

“The ten MLAs have sought time to file their replies, which I have granted. The next date of hearing will be announced soon,” Patnekar said.

Chodankar had last year filed the disqualification petition against the 10 MLAs, including Goa Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, who switched over to the BJP in July 2019.

Chodankar said that his lawyer informed the Speaker that a recent Supreme Court judgment emphasised that disqualification petitions should be decided within a time-frame.

“The Speaker said he will take note of the SC judgment while deciding on the time (to decide on the petition),” he informed.