Niz Goenkar

PANJIM: NCP leader Mickky Pacheco has revived his disqualification petition against Congress minister Churchill Alemao and legislator Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco under the anti-defection law.  Pacheco, in an application moved before the Speaker of Legislative Assembly on Friday, has said that the recent notification by Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that the Save Goa Front, a party which the duo claim to have merged with the Congress, still exists.

On April 1, 2011, Joint Electoral Officer of Goa had clearly notified that Save Goa Front was a recognised party having aeroplane as its reserved symbol.

Pacheco has demanded that Public Works Department minister Churchill Alemao and legislator Lourenco, both of whom had joined Congress party in 2008, be disqualified under tenth schedule to the Constitution of India.  "Despite the claim of the respondents (Alemao and Lourenco) that the Save Goa Front had merged with the Indian National Congress, the Save Goa Front was very much alive, and continued to be a recognised political party," Pacheco has said in his letter to the Speaker.

He has also demanded that pending hearing and final disposal of the petition, Speaker may restrain the respondents from participating or voting in the Goa Legislative Assembly.

Pacheco had filed disqualification petition against the duo in October 2008 which is being heard by the Speaker.  Alemao, who had left Congress during 2006 state Legislative Assembly polls, had floated the Save Goa Front party. He entered the Congress again claiming that he has merged his outfit with the grand old party. – PTI