Goa Congress moves to disqualify 2 MLAs for anti-party activity

Congress MLAs Michael Lobo and Sankalp Amonkar at Goa Assembly, in Porvorim, on Monday. Pic/PTI

The Congress on Monday filed petitions with Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar seeking disqualification of its MLAs Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat. It has accused them of hobnobbing with the ruling BJP to bring about a split in the party.

"Disqualification petitions have been filed against both the MLAs as they have voluntarily given up membership of the party. There is a Supreme Court judgment that states that any anti-party activity amounts to giving up of the membership of the party," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar said.

He said the move by the BJP to split the Congress Legislative Party had failed, as it could not muster the required numbers of MLAs 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," Patkar said. The BJP is resorting to such tactics, as it does not want any Opposition in the states where they are ruling, Patkar said.

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