The Hindu : Front Page : Kamat to face trust vote tomorrow

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Sunday, Jul 29, 2007
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Kamat to face trust vote tomorrow

Special Correspondent

Governor’s observer to be present

PANAJI: Goa Governor S.C. Jamir on Saturday directed the beleaguered Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to secure a vote of confidence in the Assembly, ahead of any business on Monday, to prove his claim of majority.

The Assembly is in session and has to pass the annual budget by Tuesday.

An observer will be deputed by the Governor to oversee the proceedings during the trial of strength.

The Governor’s decision followed conflicting claims of majority made before him on Friday by the Congress-led coalition Government as well as the newly formed BJP-led Goa Democratic Alliance (GDA) headed by Manohar Parrikar.

As no financial business could be conducted in the House on Thursday, the Opposition urged the Governor to direct Speaker Pratapsinh Rane to conduct a floor test under Article 175 of the Constitution on Monday in the presence of an impartial observer.

Parrikar charge

After the Assembly was adjourned till Monday, the Leader of the Opposition Parrikar accused the Kamat Government of shying away from the House fearing defeat.

He apprehended that the Treasury benches would repeat their ploy to get the House adjourned by the Speaker beyond Tuesday to defer the passing of the Budget and create a constitutional deadlock to deny the Opposition an opportunity to form a Government.

However, the Chief Minister too called on the Governor on Friday to claim that he continued to have majority and it would be proved on the floor of the House by transacting the financial business scheduled for Monday.

The numbers

The claims by the rival combinations notwithstanding, the Kamat Government has been left with 18 of the 19 MLAs of the Congress-NCP pre-poll alliance and the support of one independent, taking its tally to 19 including the Speaker, in the truncated House of 39.

The GDA MLAs, who went to New Delhi to parade their strength before the President Pratibha Patil, are expected to return to Goa on Monday.

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