PANJIM: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar on Friday said that he sent a second reminder to Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar urging him to hear the disqualification petition pending before him against eight MLAs, who had defected from Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in September 2022.
In his second reminder letter submitted to the Speaker, Patkar has informed the Speaker of approaching the court if prompt action is not taken.
“I request you to take cognizance of my letter and take prompt action in this regard or else we will be forced to approach the court,” Patkar has said.
Patkar had sent a similar reminder a month back after Speaker had given his verdict on the disqualification petition against the then Leader of the Opposition Michael Lobo and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat. Patkar had sought their disqualification for voluntarily giving up Congress party’s membership.
There is another pending petition against all eight defector MLAs of Congress, who had joined BJP in 2022 filed by Patkar.
According to Patkar, the Speaker has not commenced the hearing on the said petition too and he had now asked the latter to expedite the hearing and decide on the petition.
On April 15, 2024, the Supreme Court while hearing the petition filed by a Congress leader seeking speedy hearing in 2022 disqualification petition against eight rebel Congress MLAs, had observed that the delay was apparent in the matter and had directed the Speaker to expedite the petition. Accordingly the Speaker later disposed of Patkar’s petition against Lobo and Kamat.
