Acting speaker's order on plea against Goa minister on May 22

Goa acting assembly speaker Michael Lobo Thursday reserved his order for May 22 on a disqualification petition filed against Health Minister and BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane.

Lobo had earlier issued notices to Rane and the petitioner, Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar, and asked them to appear before him Thursday.

The acting speaker heard the arguments of both sides.

"I have heard both the parties and the order is reserved for May 22," Lobo said.

The Independent MLA had filed the disqualification petition before the then Speaker Pramod Sawant against Rane in August 2017, seeking his disqualification from the House.

Rane was elected to the Legislative Assembly from Valpoi in the March 2017 polls on a Congress ticket.

He had resigned from the assembly minutes after taking oath and later quit the Congress party.

According to the petition, Rane should be disqualified for resigning minutes after taking oath in the House and switching sides.

He subsequently joined the BJP and was inducted into the state cabinet in May 2017 and given the health portfolio.

Rane was elected to the assembly in August 2017 from Valpoi in a by-election.

Gaonkar is one of the Independent MLAs supporting the BJP-led government in the state.

Lobo is officiating as acting speaker after Sawant took over as chief minister in March this year.