Panaji, Feb 13 (IANS): Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Monday granted six weeks' time to eight defected MLAs to file a reply on the disqualification petition filed against them.

On November 11, Dominic Noronha had submitted the disqualification petition against eight Congress MLAs, who had joined the BJP. On Monday Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar heard the petitioner and respondents in this matter and granted six weeks time to the eight MLAs to file a reply.

"Voters vote for a particular party and then they (MLAs) change sides. In view of this I had filed this petition. I hope justice will prevail," Dominic Noronha told media persons after the hearing.

Tawadkar said that the eight MLAs have been given six weeks to file the reply in this connection. "The next hearing will take place on April 5," he said.

On September 14, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Rajesh Faldesai, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes joined the BJP, reducing the Congress to 3 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly.

Along with Dominic Noronha, former president of the GPCC Girish Chodankar had also filed a disqualification petition, which is yet to be heard.