PANAJI
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar will pronounce his verdict in the matter of disqualification under the Xth Schedule of the Constitution of the eight former Congress MLAs who defected to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in September 2022 on Friday at 5.30 pm.
The petition seeking disqualification of the eight MLAs – Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira, former chief minister Digambar Kamat, former minister Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Phaldesai, Rudolf Fernandes and Sankalp Amonkar –was filed by former GPCC president Girish Chodankar.
Accusing Tawadkar of delay, Chodankar had approached the Supreme Court for a direction that his petition be adjudicated by the Speaker. Accordingly the SC had directed the Speaker to hear and dispose of the matter by November 4.
Tawadkar’s verdict on Friday, meanwhile, is unlikely to be last word in the matter as the Speaker’s judgements under the Xth Schedule of the Constitution are open to judicial review either in High Court or before Apex Court.
