The Hindu : Other States / Goa News : Nothing will happen to Parrikar Government

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Sunday, Aug 01, 2004

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Nothing will happen to Parrikar Government

By Anil Sastry

PANAJI, JULY 31. Saturday was a day of hectic political activities in Goa. While the Bharatiya Janata Party's top leadership was engaged in a "chintan baithak" (brainstorming session) at Dona Paula near here, two television news channels (Zee News and NDTV) continuously put out news flashes that the Parrikar-led BJP Government in Goa had been reduced to a minority.

The flash news was based on the statement of Benaulim MLA Micky Pacheco (belonging to the United Goan Democratic Party — Micky), who was recently sacked by Mr. Parrikar from the Cabinet, that he had withdrawn his support to the Parrikar Government and two colleagues of Mr. Parrikar were with him. The statement naturally sparked off rumours about the fate of the Parrikar Government.

`Surprised'

However, the "two" colleagues of Mr. Parrikar, whom Mr. Micky has "mentioned," denied that they have joined him.

When contacted, the Minister for Water Resources, Philip Neri Rodrigues (who is an independent MLA), expressed surprise at the rumours.

"Micky has no authority to take our names and drag us into a controversy. We are fully with Mr. Parrikar.''

The Minister for Tourism and Sports, Matanhy Saldanha (MLA belonging to UGDP), told The Hindu that he was against destabilising any government. "Nothing is going to happen (to the Parrikar Government) and public good is my paramount concern," he said. Whatever was being done was to accomplish one's personal agenda, he said, without naming Mr. Micky.

Mr. Micky said it was true he had withdrawn support to the Government but would not "disclose who else are with me and let us see in the Assembly on Monday."

Dismisses report

Mr. Parrikar told The Hindu that Mr. Micky had been doing the same thing for the last one month after he was sacked. "The electronic media does not know the political intricacies or the numbers game in Goa," he said.

Still Mr. Parrikar enjoys the support of 22 MLAs, including the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, in the 40-member Assembly. By inducting Mr. Matanhy and dropping Mr. Micky on June 14, Mr. Parrikar had played a clever game and made it doubly sure that his "once minority" Government would not be affected by the fact of loss of the "umbrella" at the Centre. The Opposition comprises 16 MLAs from the Congress and one from the NCP.

The strength of the BJP rose from 17 to 19 when Pandurang Madkaikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Atansio Monserrate alias Babush of the UGDP joined the BJP. Also Mr. Parrikar inducted into his Cabinet another MGP MLA, Ramakrishna Dhavlikar alias Sudin, UGDP MLA, Micky and an independent MLA, Filipe Neri Rodrigues into his Cabinet, taking the total strength of his supporters to 22.

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Nothing will happen to Parrikar Government