PANAJI
As the term of the 13th Goa legislative assembly is nearing its end, it is turning out to be one where it has rained resignations by members.
On Friday, PWD Minister, Deepak Pauskar and former minister Vinoda Palyenkar got added to a long list of MLAs who have turned ex-MLAs even before the end of their terms.
Late on Thursday night, Deputy Speaker, Isidore Fernandes, had also resigned from his post as well as a legislator.
So far the tally of legislators to resign preceding a defection since Luizinho Faleiro opened the floodgates back in late October last year has gone up to 14, thus reducing the strength of the 40-member House to now just 26.
Pauskar resigned first as PWD minister and then handed in his membership of the House to the legislature department and also from the primary membership of the BJP on being denied the Sanvordem ticket.
Palyekar on the other hand resigned as MLA and also from the Goa Forward Party after the alliance his party has with Congress edged him out of the fray in Siolim.
Fernandes on the other hand resigned as Deputy Speaker, MLA and later from the BJP when the party’s official candidate list of 34 included the name of his rival Ramesh Tawadkar for Canacona on Thursday.
