The Hindu : Front Page : Goa CM Kamat briefs Sonia Gandhi

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Saturday, Jan 19, 2008
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Goa CM Kamat briefs Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi Bureau

BJP ready to help rebels

Shuffling portfolios main issue at talks
NCP rebels refuse to go to Delhi for discussions

NEW DELHI: Even as Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat briefed Congress president Sonia Gandhi here on the political crisis facing his coalition government, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday decided to “wait and watch.” But it would help those who wanted to bring down the seven-month-old government.

Mr. Kamat later held discussions with Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel. At the centre of the discussions were shuffling of the portfolios of some of the Ministers and considering the demand made by a few Independents supporting the government.

“We met Ms. Gandhi. We discussed the situation. Now we will again talk to NCP leaders and a solution will be found,” Mr. Kamat told journalists after meeting Ms. Gandhi.

He was accompanied by PCC chief Francisco Sardinha and AICC general secretary in charge of Goa B.K. Hari Prasad. Congress leader A.K. Antony was among those who attended the meeting.

Conveying her party’s stand to journalists, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj criticised Governor S.C. Jamir for accepting the government’s recommendation to prorogue the Assembly and dubbed it an “unconstitutional and undemocratic” move.

However, the AICC said the Special Economic Zone lobby was behind the Goa government being reduced to a minority after some NCP legislators withdrew support.

Rebels defiant

Accusing the “lobby” of creating political instability, AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi dismissed suggestions that the party was ready to change the Chief Minister.

Panaji Special Correspondent reports:

The rebels, led by the NCP legislators, continued to be defiant with the NCP members refusing to go to Delhi for negotiations as suggested by Mr. Praful Patel on Thursday.

By Friday evening, some members of the rebel group began to sing a different tune. “Our group of nine is crucial for any combination to form a government,” Vishwajeet Rane, Independent MLA, told journalists. At the same time, he reiterated that the rebels were awaiting the outcome of the talks in Delhi.

Mr. Micky Pacheco of the NCP said: “We want to form a government, let other parties support us.” No government could be formed by either the Congress or the BJP without the rebels, he said. The BJP leaders here refuted Congress allegations that their party was instigating the legislators to destabilise the government.

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