PANJIM: The Goa Pradesh Congress
Committee is preparing to file a disqualification petition against its rebel
former MLA Vishwajit Rane before the Speaker of the House, post his election-
which is scheduled on Wednesday.
During the crucial
floor test in the assembly on March 16, Rane, who was elected from the Valpoi
constituency, abstained from voting, leaving the House immediately after being
administered oath by the pro-tem Speaker Siddharat Kuncolienkar, reducing the
Congress’ strength to 16 MLAs and House to 39 members.
Post floor test, Rane
resigned as MLA as well as from the Congress party. The former Health Minister has announced to
re-contest the polls, while there are strong speculations of him joining ruling
BJP.
“We had sought the
advice of senior Congress functionaries like Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi.
A legal opinion was also sought in a bid to strengthen our case. Accordingly,
we have prepared the petition and the same would be filed before the Speaker,”
Congress legislative party (CLP) leader Chandrakant Kavalekar said.
“We will file the
disqualification petition immediately after the Speaker is elected,” he said.
The election for the post of Speaker is scheduled on Wednesday.
Kavalekar, who accused
junior Rane of being spy of BJP, reiterated that Rane had signed the whip which
was issued before the floor test.
“A breach of whip
amounts to disqualification,” he stated admitting that the CLP failed to file
the disqualification petition soon after the floor test, as it never imagined
such drastic step by Rane.
As per the Article 191
of the constitution, amongst the various grounds for disqualification of
sitting MLAs, one includes an instance wherein the MLA in questions defies the
party whip. If the MLA is proven guilty, then he attracts disqualification and
is debarred from contesting polls for the next six years.
Former Law
Commissioner Ramakant Khalap has already expressed that there is little scope
for disqualification now, considering that the MLA had tendered his resignation
before the disqualification petition – which is yet to be filed.
