Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Saturday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in response to petitions moved by two MGP MLAs who have challenged  Speaker Pratapsingh Rane’s order debarring them from voting in the House during the vote of confidence on July 30. 

Kamat’s affidavit defends the conduct of proceedings in the House and contends that he had followed the Governor’s directive to face a trial of strength which he won by a voice vote because the BJP-led Opposition did not press for a division of votes.

The next hearing of the case on Monday will coincide with the Speaker’s hearing of three disqualification petitions. Rane has sent out summons to rebel Congress MLA Victoria Fernandes and MGP MLAs Ramkrishna Dhavlikar and his brother Pandurang to appear before him on Monday at 11 am.

Victoria Fernandes who has tied up with the GDA says she has resigned from the state assembly, but the Speaker has not accepted her resignation.

Earlier this week she filed a petition asking that the Speaker be directed to accept her resignation.

As Goa’s latest political crisis plays itself out before the courts, the state assembly Speaker and on the roads of New Delhi where the BJP-led troupe has attempted to draw media mileage, the Congress-NCP camp is banking on the growing frustration in the GDA for some horse-trading.  Faced with criticism back home for corralling their MLAs in a five-star resort in Delhi, the BJP shifted its members to Madhya Pradesh Bhavan for safekeeping.