Sandesh Prabhudesai
21 October 2000
The 11-month old coalition government led by Francisco Sardinha is on a shaky ground as its partner – the Bharatiya Janata Party – is planning to withdraw and form its own government.
The chief minister, at present, is away in Australia.
While confirming that moves are on in this direction, BJP leader Manohar Parrikar said the final decision would be taken only after seeking formal approval from the central leadership by tomorrow.
Though he refused to provide more details in this regard, Parrikar said fillers are coming in all the directions to join the BJP, which means that further splits in the opposition Congress and other parties would lead to formation of the new government.
“There is no question of a coalition government. Either it will be the BJP government or we will sit in the opposition”, said Parrikar categorically.
The coalition government had come to power in November last after Sardinha, leading a group of 10 other legislators, had split from the then Congress government by toppling Luizinho Faleiro within six month after fresh Assembly polls.
The 40-member House has 10 members of the BJP.
Following the split by Sardinha, one more group of five led by Shaikh Hassan had split from the Congress two months ago, protesting against Faleiro’s autocratic functioning as the Goa PCC president.
Unconfirmed reports state that besides four members from the Shaikh group, yet another group of four from the Congress led by former chief minister Ravi Naik is planning to split and join the BJP.
The other Congressmen planning to split are reportedly former union minister Ramakant Khalap, former minister Sanjay Bandekar and first-time MLA Babu Azgaonkar.
This will leave the opposition Congress to mere six, though it had come to power after June elections with absolute majority.
While this combination would swell the BJP’s strength to 18, efforts are reportedly still on to rope in at least three more legislators from other parties, so that it would be the one-party government of the BJP.
Incidentally, the toppling game is on while Sardinha as well as his three more cabinet colleagues from his Goan People’s Congress group are away in Australia, USA and China.
Governor Mohammad Fazal however is presently is in Delhi. The picture would be crystal clear only after he arrives here on Sunday.
The prime reason for withdrawing from the ruling coalition, according to Parrikar, is the issue of Mayem village which has been declared as evacuee property after the Portuguese left Goa.
While the BJP was trying to hand over the land ownership to the local villagers under the Tenancy Act, Sardinha was supporting one Antonio Pereira, who claimed to be the legal heir of the evacuee family.
Prakash Fadte, the education minister in the Sardinha government, is the MLA from Mayem.
Though Parrikar said they are presently in a mood to withdraw from the government, he however did not rule out the possibility of discussing viable alternative with Sardinha when he comes back.
Sources in the BJP however disclosed to GoaNews that there is no question of going back on the issue and the whole episode would ultimately lead to fall of the coalition government.
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