Congress Claims it Has Numbers to Form Government in Goa
BJP President Amit Shah called ally GFP chief Vijai Sardesai to discuss the political situation in Goa.
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The opposition Congress in Goa on Wednesday, 19 September, claimed that it had the support of over 21 legislators in the 40-member Assembly, giving it enough strength to form the government in the state.
The Congress, which is the single-largest party with 16 MLAs, has already staked claim to form the government in the coastal state.
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar told PTI that the Congress had enough support to form the government in Goa.
"We have the required numbers. I am not going to tell you whom we are in discussions with, but we need the support of 21 MLAs and we have more than that," he said.
BJP CHIEF AMIT SHAH CALLS GFP CHIEF TO DISCUSS MATTERS
BJP President Amit Shah called ally Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday, 18 September to discuss the political situation in Goa and to “ensure stability” of the government.
Shah’s intervention comes after Sardesai rejected Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s proposal to hand over the temporary charge to Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), another ally.
Speaking to PTI, Sardesai said, “Amit Shah had called me before BJP's national observers arrived here to take stock of the political situation. He had basically called to discuss the political situation and to ensure stability of the Manohar Parrikar government.”
Sardesai added that now it is for BJP to decide as far the decision of leadership is concerned.
CONGRESS MET THE GOVERNOR TO STAKE CLAIM
Meanwhile, the Congress legislators met Governor Mridula Sinha and demanded a floor test by the BJP-led government to prove its majority in the Assembly.
The Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, demanded that the governor should summon one-day session of the Assembly for a floor test.
During the meeting with the governor, the Congress MLAs contended that the Parrikar-led coalition falls short of a majority in the 40-member Assembly and that the Congress has the required numbers to form the government.
“Let the state government prove on the floor that they have majority or else we can show that we have more legislators than them,” Kavlekar told reporters after meeting Sinha.
The Congress legislators also urged the governor not to allow dissolution of the Assembly. Kavlekar said the BJP might force dissolution of the Assembly and another election in just one-and-a-half year, reported IANS.
The Assembly polls in the state were held in February last year.
BJP’S PLAN OF ACTION
BJP leader Ram Lal, BL Santhosh and Vinay Puranik have been deputed by the central leadership to take stock of the political situation in the state.
Lal had earlier said that the Goa government is stable and no demand has been made for a change in the leadership. He stated this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members.
He said the BJP's alliance partners - the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Independents - conveyed that they will agree to any political decision taken by the saffron party.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Congress saying te party’s move move reflected the level of desperation to grab power.
THE NUMBER GAME IN GOA
Number of seats in Goa Assembly: 40
- Congress: 16 seats
- BJP: 14 seats
- Goa Forward Party (GFP): 3 seats
- Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP): 3 seats
- NCP: 1 seat
The state is under the rule of BJP with the support of GFP, MGP, NCP and Independents.
CHIEF MINISTER PARRIKAR AT AIIMS
Manohar Parrikar, 62, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, is currently admitted in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi for treatment.
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