BJP ally in Goa moves HC to block defection

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has moved the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court seeking disqualification of two former Congress MLAs, who quit the state assembly and joined the BJP, from contesting any fresh election.

The MGP, an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Goa government, in its petition claimed that owing to the ill health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and two other former ministers, the political situation in the state was “fluid”. It also said lawmakers who resign without justifiable reasons should be disqualified from contesting fresh elections and accepting any public post for a period of six years.

“With the sickness of the aforesaid elected representatives, the political situation in Goa continued to be fluid,” it said.

Goa leaders Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte had last month resigned from the opposition Congress and also from the state assembly to join the ruling BJP.

MGP leaders Satyawan Palkar and Vikas Prabhu filed the petition before the high court bench on Monday, urging it to quash and set aside the Goa assembly speaker’s order of October 16, wherein resignations of Shirodkar and Sopte were accepted.

With the Congress staking claim to form the government after approaching the higher constitutional authorities, the BJP made moves to effect and manage defections in the opposition party, the petitioners said.

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