Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Accepting contention of petitioner Girish Chodankar, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has upheld the decision of Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly dismissing disqualification petition against G-8 MLAs.
The HC also has disposed Girish Chodankar’s petition on line of High Court’s earlier judgment related to previous G10 MLAs merger into BJP.
Advocate Abhijit Gosavi, speaking on behalf of Chodankar, argued in favor of dismissing the case at Wednesday’s hearing before the Division Bench of Justices Makarand Subhash Karnik and Nivedita Mehta, pointing out that the High Court had already rendered a decision on a case that was similar to his own.
The attorney went on to say that the Supreme Court, to which an appeal is being filed, will finally have to decide the matter.
In response, the Speaker’s representative, Advocate General Devidas Pangam, argued that other relevant petitions were still pending and opposed the move for dismissal. The hearing has been rescheduled on Thursday.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar rejected Chodankar’s case in December 2024, requesting that the Congress politician go to the High Court to contest the Speaker’s November 1 ruling.
Tawadkar had noted that the elected official would not be disqualified in any scenario if their original political party merged with another.
In addition to attempting to overturn the Speaker’s order, Chodankar has pleaded with the Court to prevent the eight MLAs from taking part in Goa Legislative Assembly sessions and even from being named ministers in the government till the case is heard and decided.
