Panaji (GOA): The Deputy Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly Michael Lobo, Minister Pandurang Madkaikar and MLA Milind Naik are issued notices following their disqualification petitions filed before the Bombay High Court at Goa.

When the petitions challenging their election filed by four petitions came up for hearing this week, the single bench issued notices to the trio BJP MLAs returnable within three weeks.

In the case of Lobo, the election is challenged by his arch rival Congress’s Joseph Sequeira, who lost to Lobo in the Calangute constituency.

Similarly Congress’s Xavier Fialho and Surendra Tari Volvoikar challenged Madkaikar’s election. The ground for challenge is not known. Fialho had contested against Madkaikar from Cumbharjua constituency.

Also Congress leader and Mormugao candidate Sankalp Amonkar has sought recounting of VVPAT slips considering that Milind Naik defeated him by a very small margin during the recent state assembly election.

The Congress party has already filed a petition seeking disqualification of BJP Minister Vishwajit Rane pleading that he may be restrained from contesting the upcoming by-elections.

Team TNV