Amid Cong split rumours, Goa Assembly Speaker cancels notification for Dy speaker election
Panjim (Goa), July 10: Amid rumours that some Congress MLAs may cross over to the ruling BJP, Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker, Ramesh Tawadkar has cancelled the notification announcing polls for the post of Deputy Speaker.
The decision to withdraw notification for the Deputy Speaker election was withdrawn on Sunday morning.
The poll was initially scheduled to be held on July 12 during the upcoming monsoon Assembly session. According to Legislature Secretary Namrata Ulman, the notification issued on July 8 under Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn.
"Hence the notice of nomination for election of deputy speaker issued under 9(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn also," the order stated.
"All the Hon'ble members may note the same. No nomination shall be accepted for the aforesaid Election," it further read.
The two-week-long Assembly session will start on Monday.
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The withdrawal of the poll for Deputy speaker comes in the midst of rife rumours claiming that several Congress MLAs may split to join the BJP. However, there is no formal confirmation even as the Congress MLAs held a series of meetings in Margao town on Sunday.
Amit Patkar, the president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, said that the ruling party was spreading rumours of a split in the Congress and that all of the party legislators were present and had refused the possibility of a split.
Amidst the rumours that Congress leaders are joining BJP, the incharge of the All India Congress Committee of Goa, Dinesh Gundu Rao informed on Sunday that "Yesterday we had a Congress Legislative Party meeting in Goa. All the MLAs of the Congress party are intact but BJP is trying to poach our MLAs and intimidate them. But all the MLAs are intact."
Michael Lobo, the chief of the Goa Congress, added that the claims are baseless.
"These are all rumours. There's nothing as such. Assembly (session) is starting and one rumour has to be spread by somebody or the other. I have not been told, if I am told I'll tell you first," he added.
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-PTC News
