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Friday, Jul 27, 2007
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Political crisis grips Goa

Prakash Kamat

MGP withdraws support to Kamat Government; BJP says it has the numbers

— Photo: PTI

New alignments: Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Assembly Manohar Parrikar with reporters after a meeting of the coalition leaders in Panaji on Thursday.

PANAJI: Goa is once again in a political crisis. The 49-day-old Congress-led coalition Government on Thursday plunged into turmoil after two members of an ally and an independent legislator withdrew support and a Congress MLA submitted her resignation from the Assembly.

However, the Digambar Kamat Government got a reprieve after the Assembly was adjourned by Speaker Pratapsinh Rane till Monday amid a din caused by the ruling benches. The Speaker was unable to proceed with the financial business.

‘Dismiss Government’

The Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming that it had the numbers to form a government, demanded that Governor S.C. Jamir dismiss the Kamat Government for “shying away from its responsibility of transacting the financial business listed for the day.” It demanded that Mr. Jamir install a new government led by Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar.

The Governor, who is in New Delhi, is expected to arrive here on Friday afternoon.

As the House was in session, the trial of strength would have to be on the floor of the House, conceded Mr. Rane. The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party camp was making all efforts to woo back the two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) MLAs and Congress legislator Victoria Fernandes.

The strength of the ruling coalition, which enjoyed the support of 23 MLAs in the 40-member House, is now 19.

Mr. Rane is yet to take action on the disqualification petition filed by a Congress MLA against her. He has also not accepted her resignation letter that was delivered to his office on Thursday morning.

“Ms. Fernandes continues to be a member till I get her resignation letter in person,” Mr. Rane told presspersons.

“Firmly in saddle”

Talking to journalists, Mr. Kamat said the coalition Government was “firmly in the saddle.” He was in touch with the Congress central leadership. He lashed out at the BJP for aligning with “vested interests” to topple his Government, and not allowing him to settle down to work for the people.

Mr. Parrikar, however, accused Mr. Kamat of “failure to govern and deliver.”

PTI reports:

Mr. Parikkar said the BJP-led Goa Democratic Alliance would parade all its legislators before the President if the Governor failed to return tomorrow.

“We have specific information that the Governor boarded a Sahara Airlines flight to come to Goa this evening but decided to go back at the last minute from the [Delhi] airport,” he said.

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