The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition challenging the Goa Speaker’s decision to reject the Congress party’s request for disqualification of eight Members of the Legislative Assembly who shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2022. The dispute is important because it goes to the working of India’s anti-defection framework and the extent to which a Speaker’s decision can be tested in court.
What happened
A Congress leader from Goa has filed a petition against the Goa Speaker’s decision. The petition challenges the rejection of the Congress plea seeking disqualification of eight MLAs who defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2022.
Why the issue matters
The dispute directly involves the anti-defection law under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. It also raises a recurring constitutional question: when a Speaker decides a defection matter, how far can the decision be reviewed by the judiciary?
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