Decide quickly on Cong plea seeking disqualification of 2 ex-MLAs: Guj HC to Speaker

The Gujarat High Court on Monday directed state Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi to decide quickly on the applications seeking disqualification of two former Congress MLAs Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala.

Thakor and Zala had resigned as Radhanpur and Bayad MLAs respectively on July 5 and joined the BJP, following which the Congress, through chief whip Ashwin Kotwal, approached HC demanding their disqualification under the anti-defection law claiming the two had cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha polls.

Thakor and Zala have been nominated by the BJP to contest Radhanpur and Bayad bypolls respectively scheduled for October 21.

Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani had made two applications, on April 25 and July 5, to Speaker Trivedi demanding that Thakor and Zala be disqualified.

During a hearing in an earlier petition, order on which was pronounced on July 2, Speaker Trivedi had said he would decide on the applications within four months.

On Monday, a bench of Justices S R Brahmbhatt and V P Patel disposed of Kotwal's petition and set an outer limit of four months, starting July 2, for Speaker Trivedi to decide on the applications.