Sandesh Prabhudesai
23 October 2000
Chief minister Francisco Sardinha may not win the trust vote tomorrow as the Congress has decided to abstain from voting, though the national party is opposed to the BJP forming the government.
Governor Mohammed Fazal has already convened the special session tomorrow afternoon, allowing Sardinha to prove his majority, after the BJP formally withdrew from the 11-month old ruling coalition on Sunday.
"Though we cannot support the BJP, we also cannot support the person who toppled our government", said Goa PCC chief Luizinho Faleiro after the CLP meet today evening. Sardinha had toppled his government in November last by splitting along with 10 others.
Manohar Parrikar, who has staked claim to form the BJP-led government, has also announced that the new cabinet would be sworn in by tomorrow night. Without mentioning the Congress, he also told journalists that five MLAs will abstain.
Support from the five-member Congress had become crucial for Sardinha to win the trust vote in the 40-member House as he is left with only 11 members, and Dr Wilfred de Souza, the sole legislator of the Nationalist Congress Party.
Besides two splinter Congress groups of four each joining the then 10-member BJP on Saturday, the saffron party is also supported by three other legislators belonging to two other parties. Isidore Fernandes, the sole independent MLA, has also decided to support any group that forms the government.
"I can still garner support of 20, which is enough to win the trust vote", claimed Sardinha today evening. He is also firm on facing the Assembly, rather than stepping down, and having a debate. "Let people know how the BJP ditched me", he said.
The only person who may gain from this episode appears to be Dr de Souza. "If the Congress abstains, I will welcome the whole Sardinha group into the NCP", he said. The Congress would be then reduced to mere five while the NCP would emerge as the major opposition party.
Throughout the day, meantime, the 11-member strong Sardinha camp was seen desperately running in all the directions, probably trying to get the four legislators. Three of them even visited the CM's official residence, but were back in the BJP camp by evening.
"They have been staying here willingly", said Parrikar, denying the charge that he has kept all the 21 MLAs under captivity in a city hotel. Besides police guarding the hotel, no one is allowed to meet any legislator in a hotel room but only in the crowded gallery.
While strategies and counter-strategies are being planned and executed to win over the four MLAs, needed by both the camps, desperation appeared to be mounting in the Sardinha camp compared to the BJP.
In fact the BJP camp appeared confident that Sardinha would resign little before the special session begins at 2.30 pm and drive to the Raj Bhavan to submit his resignation, rather than facing humiliation on the floor of the House.
As the BJP is gearing up for the swearing in, information technology minister Pramod Mahajan is planning to fly down here tomorrow afternoon, to work out the modalities of cabinet formation. It is also expected to be a jumbo one, with minimum 14 ministers.
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