Who says that the Congress would not form an alternate government
- Babu Kavlekar
PANAJI/MARGAO: A tentative Congress party is seemingly preparing itself to launch a political assault on the ailing Manohar Parrikar-led coalition government amidst the vacuum of sorts triggered by he resorting to governing the State in absentia, owing to his frequent health-related trips abroad.
The top leadership of the principal Opposition party, which in fact is the single largest bloc in the House of 40 with 16 members, is seriously weighing its options of moving a no-confidence motion either against Dr Pramod Sawant, the Speaker of the Goa legislative assembly or even against the Chief Minister and his council of ministers.
The issue was hotly but inconclusively debated at the Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting held on Friday last.
CLP sources told The Goan, that one section of the party led by its veterans, is in favour of dislodging the Speaker first before a head-on assault can be launched on the Parrikar government.
The Congress' vocal legislator from Curtorim, however, is strongly advocating a move to dislodge the government itself, the CLP sources said.
"The indecision however is temporary because we are currently uncertain of the numbers," the source said, adding that the argument in favour of removing the Speaker first is that it would tilt the balance against the ruling side as the Constitutional post has a crucial role in any political upheaval with powers to disqualify or restrain legislators.
With two cabinet ministers -- Francis D'Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar -- in no position to make themselves available at short notice due to their serious ailments, Congress strategists see a window of opportunity to force a showdown in the legislative assembly.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which leads the ruling coalition has a strength of 14, including the two out-of-action ministers, and it enjoys the support of three MLAs each of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Goa Forward Party (GFP), besides the three independents -- Rohan Khaunte, Govind Gaude and Prasad Gaonkar.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Babu Kavlekar on Sunday insisted that the Congress will not shirk away from forming an alternative government in the event the Parrikar-led coalition falls under its own weight.
Kavlekar made the statement in the face of the allegations levelled by Lourenco that the CLP is not keen in taking the Parrikar-led government head-on as the Congress has no interest in forming a government.
“Who says that the Congress would not form an alternate government. The party will not shirk its responsibility in a democratic set up if the coalition government collapses under its own weight’, Babu told The Goan.
He, however, hastened to add that the Congress will not take any steps to pull down the coalition
government, either by way of a no-confidence motion or by wooing the coalition partners.
“Our Party leaders have made it clear from day one that the Congress will not be a party to pull down the coalition government. At the same time, we will not shy away from forming an alternate government in the event the government falls”, he asserted.
The Opposition Leader exuded confidence that the Congress will reach the magic figure of 21 members in the 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly, enough to form a government. “Right now, I would not like to say from where the Congress gets the required numbers. We are pretty sure that the Congress would have a simple majority in the House as and when the BJP-led government falls”, he said.
Interestingly, the Opposition Leader made it clear that it is not prudent to go for mid-term election
when the people of Goa have elected the present Assembly for five years. “There’s no need to go for
mid-term election. The tenure of the present Assembly is five years. People of Goa have elected the 40 Legislators for the entire term. If the present government falls, there’s no need to go for mid-term
election since the Congress, which is the single largest party, should be given an opportunity to form an alternate government”, Babu said.
The CLP downplayed the Party MLA Reginaldo Lourenco’s outbursts and the walk out from the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting last week. “I have nothing to say on the allegations made by Reginaldo.
Reginaldo might have got it wrong when he said that I just laughed at his remark. This is not so. The
Congress party knows its responsibility and it is playing the role of the opposition, both the CLP level and as well as at the level of party organization”, Babu said.
Tony rubbishes
rumours of he
quitting Cong
to support BJP
OLD GOA: Rubbishing the rumours that were doing rounds late on Sunday evening that he along with three other Congress MLAs would resign and extend outside support to the BJP, St Cruz MLA Tony Fernandes said that he would never betray the Congress party.
“Since evening, I am getting calls inquiring whether I am resigning as MLA as apparently some messages are being circulated on social media, which are false and baseless,” Fernandes stated while urging his supporters not to believe the rumours.
“I was elected by the people of St Cruz constituency on a Congress ticket and I will never betray the trust of the people as well as the Congress party,” Fernandes stated and added that his focus right now is to bring development in the constituency.
