Sandesh Prabhudesai
24 October 2000
Following four ministers resigning from the ruling Goan People's Congress and the Congress deciding to abstain from voting, chief minister Francisco Sardinha has decided to tender resignation rather than facing the trust vote today afternoon.
"There is no point in going to the Assembly after my own people deserted me", said Sardinha today morning. He was all set to win the confidence motion till yesterday evening.
In the event, the new government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party would be sworn in by today evening with Manohar Parrikar as the third chief minister of the existing Assembly, constituted in June last year.
Tables were turned totally against Sardinha last night with the six-member Congress (including the speaker) resolving in a CLP meeting to abstain from voting.
Following this, four of his ministers late last night submitted their resignations to the governor while also splitting from the GPC and forming a separate group, indicating clearly that they will also not support the trust vote.
"My government will not go beyond 21 even if more people come and support me", said Parrikar, making it clear that the new splinter group will have to support unconditionally.
He however did not rule out the possibility of his party's strength rising to 21 from 18. "I will be very happy if it happens", he said, not disclosing who else would be admitted into the saffron party.
The 10-member BJP, the coalition partner in the Sardinha-led government, withdrew its support on Sunday, a day after eight Congressmen from two splinter groups formally merged into their party.
The GPC, comprising of Venkatesh Desai, Alex Sequeira, Arecio D'Souza and Francis D'Souza, is the third splinter group which has come forward to support the alternate government.
With this, the BJP's support-strength in the House has increased to 26, with four GPC splinter group, two from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, one from the Congress splinter group and one independent.
While Sardinha's GPC has reduced to seven, hardly six members have remained in the Congress, the party which was elected to power in June elections with absolute majority of 21. It faced three splits in last 16 months.
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