Goa: Congress to file disqualification petition against 10 MLAs before Speaker today

The Goa Congress will file a petition on Thursday before the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, seeking disqualification of 10 MLAs, who left the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last month.

"Goa Congress party will file disqualification petition today against the illegal merger of 10 MLAs before the Speaker," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, Girish Chodankar told over the phone.

On July 17, Girish Chodankar had said that the party is considering approaching the judiciary after a "proper study" of the manner in which 10 MLAs defected from the party.

"We are considering moving court after studying the issue," Chodankar told reporters at a press conference here.

Chodankar, who resigned as state party president in the wake of the series of high profile resignations from Congress party office-bearers also said, "I would continue to work as state president because my resignation has not been accepted by the Congress national leadership."

Ten Goa Congress MLAs shifted allegiance to BJP on July 10. They joined BJP in the presence of its Working President J P Nadda and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on July 11. . These MLAs include -- Kavlekar, Isidore Fernandes, Francis Silveira, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Jennifer, Atanasio Monserrate, Antonio Fernandes, Nilakanth Halarnkar, Clafacio Dias and Wilfred D'Sa.

( With inputs from ANI )