Bombay HC Dismisses Plea Seeking Disqualification Of 12 Goa MLAs

The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court today dismissed two petitions seeking disqualification of 12 MLAs who left their respective parties and joined the ruling BJP in 2019.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar had filed a disqualification petition against 10 party MLAs who switched over to the BJP in July 2019.

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLA Sudin Dhavalikar had also filed a similar petition before the court against its two MLAs, who joined the BJP in the same year by splitting the regional party.

Today, a Division Bench of Justice Manish Pitale and Justice R N Laddha said that the two petitions stand dismissed.

Earlier, Goa Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar had on April 20 last year dismissed the disqualification petitions filed by Chodankar and Dhavalikar.

Polls to elect the new 40-member Goa Assembly were held on February 14 this year and the counting of votes will be done on March 10.

With PTI inputs