The Hindu : National : Goa front merges with Congress

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Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
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Goa front merges with Congress

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Even as the Save Goa Front, which has two MLAs, merged with the Congress on Monday, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar said his party and a few others “supported the Digambar Kamat government.”

Last week, the coalition government was reduced to a minority after three NCP legislators and an Independent announced that they were withdrawing support.

Mr. Pawar told The Hindu that a coordination committee had been formed, and a group of six MLAs, including those from the NCP, had declared their support to the Kamat government. “The three NCP MLAs, one member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Independent Vishwajit Rane are supporting the Chief Minister.”

Asked if this helped to avert the crisis faced by the seven-month-old Kamat government, he said, “In Goa, it is a daily-basis crisis. As on today, the Congress-led coalition enjoys majority.”

A senior Congress leader said the coordination panel, represented by all parties, would discuss the Congress-NCP proposal for a Cabinet reshuffle, over which differences had cropped up.

On Saturday last, the dissident legislators pledged their support, after leaders of the Congress and the NCP and the Chief Minister evolved a formula to reshuffle the Cabinet.

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