PANJIM: A day before the results of the four Assembly by-polls are declared, Acting Speaker Michael Lobo will pass an order on the disqualification petition against Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.
On May 3, Lobo had reserved his order on a disqualification petition filed against Rane to May 22. Lobo had issued notice to Rane and petitioner, Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar to appear before him on May 3.
“The petition was filed by Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar against ex-MLA and present MLA Vishwajit Rane on 28/07/2017. The first hearing was held on 04/8/2017 and second hearing was held on 4/9/2017,” he said adding, “Thereafter for one-and-half-years the case has been pending.”
Lobo said the respondent has given a reply and no arguments were heard for one-and-half years. “I have heard both the parties and the order has been reserved for May 22,” Lobo said.
He said arguments revolved around whether Rane was member of the House when the disqualification petition was filed. “As a matter of fact, Rane was not a member,” Lobo said adding, “We have taken it on record under 10th Schedule whether a disqualification petition can be filed against an ex-member.” Lobo said that Rane got re-elected later.
Rane had resigned as a member of the Assembly soon after getting elected on a Congress ticket in March 2017 and then joined BJP. Rane had resigned minutes after taking oath and had later quit the Congress.
He was inducted into the State cabinet in May 2017, even before winning the by-election from the Valpoi Assembly constituency in August 2017.
