PANJIM: Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Tuesday began final arguments on disqualification petitions filed against the then Leader of the Opposition and MLA Michael Lobo and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat.
Concluding his arguments, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar’s counsel Adv Abhijit Gosavi submitted that by their conduct in July 2022, the two MLAs demonstrated that they had voluntarily given up their membership.
“They (both MLAs) have failed to attend the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meetings held on July 9 and 10. One of them attended only one meeting while the other MLA did not attend any meeting. Even on July 10, one of them was found at the official residence of the chief minister. This is nothing but voluntarily giving up the party’s membership,” Adv Gosavi submitted.
“By the conduct of the MLAs, it was clear that they had voluntarily given up the membership and this fact was fortified as in the month of September when they joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is to be seen in the context that whatever we were alleging eventually proved correct,” Adv Gosavi said citing some judgments of Supreme Court, wherein it has stated that voluntarily giving up party’s membership can also be inferred from the conduct of the MLAs.
Later, Adv Parag Rao started his arguments on behalf of both the respondents and he will continue his argument on Wednesday.
