The Hindu : Front Page : Jamir appoints Congress MLA as pro tem Speaker

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 01, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Jamir appoints Congress MLA as pro tem Speaker

By Our Staff Correspondent

PANAJI, FEB. 28. The Goa Governor, S.C. Jamir, late this evening appointed the Congress MLA, Francisco Sardinha, as the pro tem Speaker, after the Speaker, Vishwas Satarkar, and the Deputy Speaker, Narahari Haldankar, resigned earlier in the day before the Chief Minister, Pratapsinh Rane, was to seek a vote of confidence.

An hour before the start of the Assembly session, Mr. Satarkar disqualified the Deputy Chief Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, on a petition filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Sadanand Shet Tanvade. Now, the Congress-led ruling United Legislature Party and the Opposition BJP have 17 members each in the House.

The Rane Government is in a spot, its strength having been reduced to 16 excluding the pro tem Speaker.

Date not decided

The Raj Bhavan is yet to specify a date for the vote of confidence. Though the Cabinet was scheduled to meet late in the evening to advise the Governor to prorogue the House, which was just adjourned sine die, it did not meet, sources in the government said while adding that the meeting would take place tomorrow.

While the BJP demanded immediate dismissal of the Rane Government, the ULP asserted that it would win the trust vote as and when it was held.

`Motivated allegations'

Before announcing his resignation, Mr. Satarkar announced the resignation of Mr. Kamat from the House and also that of Mr. Haldankar as Deputy Speaker. He said that ever since Manohar Parrikar won the vote of confidence on February 2 and was later dismissed by the Governor, persons occupying high constitutional posts including the Governor and Mr. Rane had been levelling "mischievous, baseless and politically motivated" allegations against him. Mr. Rane had gone to the extent of committing "an unparallel act of occupying the Chair of the Speaker" on February 2, he said.

Mr. Satarkar said: "Although these comments being false and unbecoming on their part, I deem it appropriate to relinquish the said office in order to maintain its and my dignity."

He then declared that the House was adjourned sine die.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section

Substantial income tax relief

Levy on bank withdrawal draws fire

``Lack of direction''

Cigarettes will be costlier, tea cheaper

Tremor in J&K

Jamir appoints Congress MLA as pro tem Speaker

Rabri quits, Paswan changes tack