Cong to decide new
leader & partner
Sandesh Prabhudesai
6 June 2007
The Congress-NCP alliance has started negotiating with two
regional parties - the MGP and the Save Goa Front - as well
as the two independents, to form the alliance government.
The Congress-NCP alliance has emerged as the single-largest
group with 19 seats, only two less for the majority in the
40-member House, in the Assembly elections held on 2 June.
The results were declared yesterday.
The BJP ranked second with 14 seats. The MGP and the Save
Goa Front got two seats each while the UGDP could win only
one seat - Babush Monseratt from Taleigao.
The 11th Assembly also witnessed two independents - mine
owner Anil Salgaoncar and Vishwajeet Rane, son of Congress
chief minister Pratapsing Rane.
BJP state president Shripad Naik has already announced that
his party would prefer sitting in the opposition than trying
to form the government, respecting people's mandate.
BJP leader Manohar Parrikar had earlier announced that he
will not be the chief minister unless he gets absolute majority.
The Congress, which won 16 seats, is however undecided as
usual on electing the CLP leaders, who will be the chief minister.
Besides Rane, state president Ravi Naik, former minister
Dayanand Narvekar and another former minister Digambar Kamat
are in the race.
The CLP at yesterday's meeting decided to give all the powers
to party president Sonia Gandhi to choose the leader. The
high command observers are expected to arrive here this week
to talk to all the new legislators personally.
Meanwhile, as NCP leader and former deputy chief minister
Dr Wilfred de Souza has lost the elections from Saligao, Micky
Pacheco, former minister, has already thrown his hat in the
ring, claiming deputy chief minister's post.
The Congress thus has to take two major decisions - the chief
minister acceptable to all the groups and the group of two
they have to align with to form the government.
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