After staving off split, Goa Cong seeks disqualification of Lobo, Kamat

Panaji: The Congress on Monday filed petitions with the Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar seeking disqualification of its MLAs Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat.

The Congress has accused the two MLAs of hobnobbing with the ruling BJP to bring about a split in the opposition party.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar said disqualification petitions have been filed against Lobo and Kamat, adding that the Speaker had been informed about the party’s decision to remove Lobo as Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.

“Disqualification petitions have been filed against both the Congress MLAs as they have voluntarily given up membership of the party. There is a Supreme Court judgment which states that any anti-party activity amounts to giving up of the membership of the party,” Patkar claimed.

He said the move by the BJP to split the Congress Legislative Party had failed as it could not muster the required numbers of legislators needed to do so without attracting anti-defection law provisions.

“The BJP wanted to repeat what they have done in Maharashtra through money and muscle power. We ensured on Sunday that the defection in our party stops,” said the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president.

The BJP is resorting to such tactics as it does not want any opposition in the states where they are ruling, Patkar alleged.