With Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar hospitalised, Goa’s main opposition Congress party submitted two memorandums to Governor Mridula Sinha on Monday to stake claim to form an alternate government.
A delegation of Goa Congress MLAs reached Raj Bhavan submitted the memorandum urging the Governor to give them the opportunity to prove majority in the 40-member assembly. The Congress is the single largest party in the House with 16 MLAs and the party needs support of five more members to prove majority in the assembly.
The Congress has urged the Governor not to dissolve the Assembly and instead invite the party to form the government, Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said.
“Submitted two memorandums and requested that situation to undergo election within 18 months shouldn’t arise. People elected us for 5 years. If present government is not capable to function, we should be given the chance, we’ll do it,” Kavelkar told reporters.
“We’re single largest party, should’ve been given the chance earlier. See how govt is functioning today. Govt hote huye bhi na ke barabar hai (despite the government being there it is equal to having no government). We have numbers so we’re staking claim. Governor will be here tomorrow. We’ll request her for it,” he added.
The move came at a time when the BJP high command has sent three senior leaders — Ram Lal, B L Santhosh and Vinay Puranik – in Panaji to meet the state party leaders and allies to take stock of the political situation.
Parrikar, 62, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, is currently admitted in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi for treatment.
The state is being ruled by the BJP-led Alliance.
The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, its allies Goa Forward Party and MGP have three each. Three Independents and an MLA from Nationalist Congress Party also support the BJP.
All the 16 Congress MLAs, led by Kavlekar, went to the Raj Bhavan but could not meet the governor as she is out of the state.
Earlier, BJP leader Ram Lal said the Goa government is stable and no demand has been made for a change in the leadership.
He stated this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members.
He said the BJP’s alliance partners – the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Independents – conveyed that they will agree to any political decision taken by the saffron party.
(With agency inputs)