Goa speaker, 2 MLAs get High Court notice on shifting from MGP to BJP

The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday, April 22 issued notices to the Goa Assembly Speaker and two state BJP ministers on a plea seeking the ministers' disqualification.

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Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar and Public Works Department Minister Deepak Pawaskar had quit the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party on March 27 and joined the ruling BJP.

One Sadanand Vaigankar had filed a petition contending that constitutional values and the spirit of democracy were being circumvented and defeated by the illegal and malafide actions of the speaker and the BJP by getting the two MGP MLAs to join the ruling party.

The plea challenges the speaker's order dated March 27 in which he approved the merger of the MGP with the BJP.

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The plea contended that the BJP "engineered" this defection in order to maintain the stability of its government in Goa and it sought the disqualification of the ministers.

A division bench of Justices RD Dhanuka and Prithviraj Chauhan issued notices to Speaker Michael Lobo and the MLAs. It fixed the next date of hearing on April 30.