BJP to participate in the coalition Govt

Sandesh Prabhudesai
19 November 1999 

The new coalition government, to be led by Congress rebel Francisco Sardinha, would be the coalition government as the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to participate in the government.

The one-member Nationalist Congress Party, two-member Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and indpendent Isidore Fernandes are expected to support the government from outside.

The five-month old Luizinho Faleiro government collapsed today with 11 legislators including five ministers splitting the ruling Congress party under the leadership of health minister Francisco Sardinha.

With the 26-member strong Congress government in the 40-member House now being thrown into minority as Faleiro is left with only 15 members, Sardinha has staked claim to form a coalition government, with the support of the three opposition parties.

While 10-member Bharatiya Janata Party is planning to participate in the coalition government, the Indian National Congress (Sardinha group) claims that the one-member Nationalist Congress Party as well two-member Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party would support the new government.

In fact the NCP leader Dr Wilfred de Souza was seen rushing to the Raj Bhavan along with Sardinha, when he met governor Lt Gen J F R Jacob, who has actually been transferred as Punjab governor, replaced by Mohammed Fazal. He may have to now stay on till the new government is sworn in.

While Faleiro declined to comment, he was summoned by the governor late night. Congress sources claimed that papers have been prepared to show that four ministers and the deputy speaker were expelled much before the actual split took place.

If Faleiro does not resign, the governor may either tell him to go for a floor test immediately or dismiss him. The fate of the new government thus depends on what action the governor takes after meeting Faleiro, though the number is presently not in favour of the ruling Congress party.

Four ministers – Sardinha, Somnath Juwarkar, Dayanand Narvekar and Subhash Shirodkar resigned as ministers whereas Sardinha informed speaker Pratapsing Rane about the split in the evening before meeting the governor. Deputy speaker Alex Sequeira also resigned to join the splinter group.

The splinter group also consists of two former ministers and three legislators who were elected on Congress ticket. Francisco D'Souza, who had split from the NCP a fortnight ago to strengthen Faleiro's hands, also split along with the dissidents.

"It just happened in a single day with all the dissatisfied colleagues coming together requesting me take this step", claims Sardinha, who is a known rival of Faleiro within the Congress party over two decades now.

State opposition leader Manohar Parrikar, who is now tipped to be the deputy chief minister, told the media at the Raj Bhavan after meeting the governor that the BJP decided to support the coalition government as people of Goa were fed up with Faleiro's authoritarian rule of last five months.

Contrary to the claims made by all the leaders, moves were on from the day Faleiro was sworn in on 9 June this year, after the Congress was elected to power with majority in the Assembly polls. However, it was countered by engineering defections three times by roping in five legislators from the opposition camps.

Going against the assurance given in the election manifesto, Faleiro had also expanded his cabinet to the jumbo size two months ago. In fact, the splinter group consists of two ministers who were roped into Faleiro's camp during expansion.

With the toppling games beginning in the tiny tourist state in 1990 merely to get ministerial berths, this is the eighth such toppling game in last nine years during the tenure of three Assemblies till date.

Faleiro is in fact the eleventh chief minister to be toppled though this is just a first toppling taking place in Goa after the fresh Assembly polls in June. The 1990 Assembly witnessed seven chief minister followed by three chief ministers after 1994 elections.

The defection game was then stopped by imposing President' rule in February this year.

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