PANAJI: After a prolonged and inexplicable delay of over 700 days on part of the Goa Assembly Speaker to decide pending disqualification petitions filed by Girish Chodankar against 8 defectors, Chodankar has filed a challenge to the Speaker’s Order before the Supreme Court with prayer to disqualify the 8 MLAs from membership of the Goa Assembly who defected into the BJP after being elected on the Congress symbol. The Petition has been registered and is likely to be listed before the Supreme Court in the coming week.
Under the prevailing conditions and the repeated instances of blatant defection orchestrated by malafide political actors, the Petition will serve as a beacon for restoring democratic values and upholding the mandate of the electorate.
The Petition is absolutely significant and crucial, for it directly challenges the interpretation of the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law) in respect of the defence of merger. Considering the divergent views adopted by various High Courts of the country, it is important that the Supreme Court delivers a much-needed judgment which stands in consonance with the aims and objects of the Anti-Defection Law.