PANJIM: Speaker Rajesh Patnekar on Thursday issued notices to the petitioners in the MLA disqualification cases, asking them to appear before him on April 5, a day before the Supreme Court (SC) takes up the matter for hearing on April 6.
The first notice was issued to Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar, asking him to remain present in the Speaker’s chamber for the hearing on April 5 at 3pm with regards to the disqualification petition filed against 10 ex-MLAs of the Congress.
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The second notice was issued to MGP MLA Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar asking him to remain present in the Speaker’s chamber on April 5 at 4pm with regards to the disqualification petition filed against two ex MGP-MLAs.
“You are requested to take notice and in default of your appearance either in person or through counsel, the petition shall be heard and determined in your absence,” states the notice to the two petitioners.
The petitioners have contended that the MLAs have incurred disqualification in terms of para 2 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India. They maintained that the MLAs ceased to be members of the State Legislative Assembly and urged the Speaker to give his verdict as soon as possible.
The Speaker had earlier reserved the order on these disqualification petitions filed against the defectors and was expected to deliver the verdict before the SC takes up the matter on April 6. The fate of 12 MLAs – including a Deputy Speaker, two Deputy Chief Ministers and two Ministers – who switched to the BJP in 2019 hangs in balance.
