Sandesh Prabhudesai
28 May 1999
Maintaining mysterious silence over the possibility of forming the
government with the help of defectors in case of a hung Assembly, the Congress in Goa
today released its election manifesto, promising a cabinet of not more than six members.
Releasing the manifesto, Madhavrao Scindia, the AICC general secretary
in-charge of Goa, has also assured to set up the manifesto implementation committee at
local level, which would regularly keep the high command informed about the progress.
"We have laid special stress on combating the areas which led to
instability and the legislators getting defamed in the past", said Scindia in his
opening remarks. But he could not provide any satisfactory replies to series of questions
asked by the mediapersons on party’s stand on not allowing or encouraging defections.
"The Congress will not encourage defections", states the
manifesto while also assuring to pursue with the centre amendment to the anti-defection
act so as to make the defector automatically disqualified. But the mediapersons did not
appear satisfied since Congress has always formed governments with the help of defectors
from other parties.
"Do not ask me hypothetical questions. The Congress would win with
majority" was the standard reply of Scindia to a repeated question of the mediamen
that why no firm assurance is not being given on entertaining defectors if the Congress
really "sincerely intends to combat the past" as Scindia claims.
The issue of defections becomes significant as far as the Congress is
concerned since Goa has witnessed 10 chief ministers in last nine years, all of whom were
the Congressmen either leading the party governments or toppling the governments and
splitting from the party to form coalition governments with the opposition.
Despite being fully aware that people at large in Goa are fed up with
defections, which is the prime cause of instability for two terms consecutively, the
central leadership finally chose to give tickets to most of the defectors. People who have
been denied tickets have now revolted, either by contesting as independents or other
regional parties fielding them as their candidates.
Altering the Goa’s election manifesto in Delhi, Scindia now claims
that Mrs Gandhi is keen on implementing measures like restricting the size of the cabinet
to not more that 15 per cent of the strength of the 40-member House.
The manifesto now includes promises like MLAs declaring their assets,
though none of the Congress legislator followed this provision of the Public Men’s
Corruption (Investigations and Enquiries) Act. These MLAs would also declare it once
again, says Scindia, before facing next elections.
In order to prevent misuse of ministerial powers by the Congress
legislators, the manifesto also assures that the discretionary powers of the ministers
would be made public periodically through official publications. They also talk of
amending the Public Men’s Corruption Act as well as the Right to Information Act, to
make it more effective.
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