It's Parrikar or President's
Rule
Sandesh Prabhudesai
27 July 2007
Inviting Manohar Parrikar to form an alternate government
or impose President's Rule are the only two options governor
S C Jamir will have, if chief minister Digambar Kamat fails
to garner enough number by Monday.
Both Kamat and Parrikar are presently claiming of having
20 MLAs each with them.
While sending a letter signed by 21 MLAs to the governor,
Parrikar has claimed that one signatory Victoria Fernandes
has resigned from the Congress.
The rest of the legislators of his Goa Democratic Alliance
include 14 BJP, 2 each of Save Goa Front and Maharashtrawadi
Gomantak Party, one United Goans Democratic Party and one
independent.
Kamat, on the other hand, also claims 20 as the speaker has
neither accepted Victoria's resignation nor has made any moves
to disqualify her for defying the party whip, for remaining
absent to vote in favour of the financial bill on Tuesday.
The GDA has failed to muster further support in two cases:
1. Their letter to the governor stated that two Congress
MLAs have resigned and the strength of the House has reduced
to 38. However, neither urban development minister Joaquim
Alemao nor any other Congress MLA has resigned till date.
2. Parrikar claimed at Marriott Resorts on Wednesday night
that health minister Vishwajeet Rane, an independent and son
of speaker Pratapsing Rane, would join their camp the next
day. He is however actively involved in getting enough number
for Kamat.
Similarly, the Congress has also lost the ground in two ways:
1. Withdrawal of support by PWD minister Sudin Dhavalikar
and his brother Dipak of the MGP and independent MLA Anil
Salgaocar, which has pushed him into minority. Victoria's
resignation is also a major setback for Kamat.
2. In spite of tall claims made Kamat throughout the day,
Kamat could not garner enough support to prove his majority
on the floor of the House yesterday. The Congress had to thus
manage to get the House adjourned till Monday, by raising
pandemonium on flimsy grounds.
According to legal experts, defensive actions like raising
pandemonium and stalling the proceedings cannot continue as
passing of demands for grants becomes mandatory for the government,
to run the state.
However, yet another pandemonium on Monday and adjournment
of the House sine die cannot be ruled out in view of the past
record of Goan politicians.
Such a situation would automatically shift the political
drama from the Assembly to the Raj Bhavan and the governor
can impose President's Rule by keeping the Assembly under
suspended animation, claiming that 20-20 situation does not
provide clear majority to any group.
If not, then no power on the earth can stop Parrikar to get
sworn in as the chief minister.
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