On Monday, the Panaji bench of the Mumbai High Court came down heavily on Cardoze's interim order of July 28, which prohibited the legislators from participating in the assembly proceedings. The Court has ruled that the Speaker's order issued ex-parte was done in haste and violated the principles of natural justice.

Now with the Speaker reserving his order, uncertainty looms large over the D'Souza government, which is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence before August 19. GRC legislators fear that Cardoze might disqualify them just before the voting on the confidence motion without giving them time to approach the courts. Ano-confidence motion thus conducted would result in the fall of the government. Should the ten GRC legislators be disqualified, the Rane Congress will have sixteen votes including two independents (the Speaker is not included). On the other hand the ruling alliance will be left with just thirteen votes in the forty-member house thereby becoming a minority.

The government is now consulting legal opinion to prevent Cardoze from causing harm to its legislators. Already the notice for a no-confidence motion against Cardoze, his fifth in the current assembly, was issued by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party and the BJP. The GRC is not a party to the notice as its legislators have been restrained from functioning as MLAs by the Speaker's orders. As per the rules the notice has to be issued fourteen days in advance.

Incidentally, Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane has filed a writ petition before the Mumbai High Court's Panaji bench challenging his dismissal by the Governor. Rane opined that his removal as the chiefminister is unconstitutional.