Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar will pronounce his orders in two separate disqualification petitions filed by Congress president Girish Chodankar and MGP MLA Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar against their rebel MLAs on April 29.
This was revealed by both petitioners to media persons after their meeting the Speaker separately on Monday afternoon.
Chodankar’s lawyer Abhijit Gosavi said the Speaker first dismissed an application filed by the 10 rebel Congress MLAs seeking to cross examine the petitioner and assured them that the hearing has been completed and that he will give his order at 11am on April 29.
Chodankar has prayed for disqualification of 10 rebel MLAs, who joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on July 10, 2019, as per the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
However, Chodankar appeared unhappy with the ongoing hearings and accused the Speaker of using delaying tactics to help the defectors continue as members. He alleged that the Speaker has committed contempt of court by not delivering his verdict on February 26, as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
The Congress president further charged that the Speaker was conducting hearings piecemeal and wasting his and their time on miscellaneous applications. Since the filing of the disqualification petition on August 8, 2019, the Speaker has held five hearings.
Chodankar expressed confidence that on Tuesday, April 6, the Supreme Court will hear his plea seeking directions to the Speaker to expeditiously hear the disqualification petition filed against 10 former Congress MLAs, who defected to the BJP.
On the other hand, Dhavalikar’s lawyer Dhaval Javeri said the Speaker allowed two applications filed by respondents – Deputy Chief Minister Babu Ajgaonkar and PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar – seeking extension of time and submission of additional documents.
Dhavalikar said he was pleased with the hearings and the Speaker’s decision posting the case for orders at 11.30am on April 29. Stating that the party will also press for orders before the Supreme Court on April 6, Dhavalikar claimed that nobody can wipe out MGP’s existence.
The Speaker held eight hearings in the matter after Dhavalikar filed two disqualification petitions against his former members Ajgaonkar and Pauskar in May 2019. He later withdrew one of the petitions.
Dhavalikar also recalled that Speakers in the past have delivered their judgements judiciously in disqualification matters and exuded confidence that truth will prevail in his case.
