Goa Congress challenges Parrikar government to prove majority in Assembly

The Goa Congress on Tuesday dared the BJP-led coalition government in the state to convene a session of the Assembly and win a confidence vote even as Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar seeks treatment for his health ailments in New Delhi's AIIMS hospital. 

Congress legislators in Goa on Tuesday met Governor Mridula Sinha and asked her to direct the BJP-led government to have a floor test to prove its majority in the Assembly.

The Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, demanded that the governor should summon one-day session of the Assembly for a floor test.

"Let the state government prove on the floor that they have majority or else we can show that we have more
legislators than them," Kavlekar told reporters after meeting Sinha.

Earlier at a press conference, the main opposition party claimed that the moment the name of a new chief minister was announced, replacing Manohar Parrikar, "many BJP MLAs" will resign.

Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar said a political uncertainty was prevailing in the state because of the Bharatiya Janata Party's inability to name a consensus candidate who could replace Parrikar.

"We dare the BJP to parade its 14 MLAs. The moment the new chief minister's name is announced, it is certain that many MLAs of the BJP will resign. Therefore, no permanent solution will be announced," Chodankar said in a statement here.

He challenged the saffron party to prove its numbers on the floor of the House by convening a session.

The Congress leader claimed that "the health of the whole party (BJP) is down and the coalition government has become a minority" and charged the BJP with buying time to manufacture a majority.

"With three BJP ministers, including the chief minister, in the hospital, and one MLA as the speaker, the actual strength of the BJP has reduced to mere 10 in the Assembly," he said.

"Secondly, the coalition partners had supported only Parrikar and not the BJP when this unholy alliance came to power against the will of the people of Goa.

"The political uncertainty has arisen because the BJP cannot provide a consensus candidate who can replace Parrikar and is accepted by the allies," Chodankar said.

The open statements made by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) that they will only support Parrikar as the chief minister were proof enough that the BJP-led government would collapse the minute the former defence minister stepped down, he added.

The MGP, the oldest regional party in Goa, is an alliance partner in the Parrikar government. It has three MLAs in the 40-member Assembly, where the Congress, with 16 legislators, is the single-largest party.

"The situation is that this 'government in minority' should actually be dismissed by the governor. At least now, the single-largest party, the Congress, should be invited to form the government. The Congress is confident of proving its majority on the floor of the House," Chodankar said.

Not dismissing the BJP-led dispensation would mean an "inefficient government in minority is being allowed to rule without a mandate and enough numbers", the Goa Congress chief added.

BJP leader Ram Lal had on Monday said the government in the coastal state was stable and there was no demand for a change in the leadership.

He had said this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and Goa BJP core committee members. 

Political equation in Goa

In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the Congress has 16 members.

The state is being ruled by the BJP with the support of Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), NCP and Independents.

The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, GFP and MGP have three each and NCP has one. There are also three Independents. 

So far, GFP and Inependents have pledged support for BJP, while MGP has come out in support of Congress. 

Potentially, Congress will need support of five MLAs to prove its majority, but even with the backing of MGP's three, it will still be short of two seats, giving crucial power to the NCP MLA, who remains untethered for now.  

(With inputs from PTI)