Team Herald
PANJIM: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday appeared before Speaker Pramod Sawant in a disqualification petition filed against him by Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar. Rane has been granted four weeks time to file his reply in the disqualification petition.
Sawant told Herald that Rane, when he appeared before him, sought four weeks to submit his reply. “We have granted the time and the matter is now fixed for September 4,” Sawant said.
Last week Gaonkar had filed a disqualification petition before the Speaker, following which a show cause notice was issued to the Minister.
Rane, who is not yet an MLA, is contesting the upcoming by-election from Valpoi constituency as a BJP candidate. After getting elected on a Congress ticket in the February elections, he had resigned as MLA on March 16 to join BJP. He was later inducted into the Manohar Parrikar cabinet.
A disqualification petition filed by Congress against the Minister is pending before the High Court of Bombay at Goa. The order in the matter is expected next week.
“The disqualification petition filed by Gaonkar is on similar lines to that of Congress party petition,” sources said.
Congress in its petition has sought relief that the Minister should be disqualified for being chosen as MLA for the next five years (2022) or till the House is dissolved.
