the goan I network
PANAJI
The 20-day monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly will commence at 11.30 am on Monday but the depleted and demoralized opposition benches, particularly the Congress which is left with a strength of just five in the House of 40 following last week’s political developments, is expected to steal the zing from the proceedings.
The monsoon session was to be an acid test for Chief Minister Pramod Sawant as it would have been his first full assembly session as Leader of the House. He now, will be breathing easy with no real threat of being put on the mat.
Sawant is no stranger to rules of business and legislative procedures, he having been Speaker since it was constituted following the 2017 assembly elections up until he quit to take over as chief minister following Manohar Parrikar’s death in mid-March.
Also, with the strength of the treasury benches sky-rocketing to 29, including 27 from the BJP and two Independents - Minister Govind Gaude and Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar - Sawant is expected to have a smooth sailing through the 20-day business of the House.
On the other side of the aisle meanwhile, the Congress, which is the principal Opposition party is yet to pick its legislature party leader after it lost the Opposition Leader Chandrakant Kavlekar in the exodus of 10 of its 15 MLAs last week. Kavlekar is now Deputy Chief Minister.
It will be a few days before the chemistry settles in the Opposition benches as added to that side are the three members of the Vijai Sardesai-led Goa Forward Party who were sacked from the Cabinet on Saturday.
Sardesai, through his two-odd years in the treasury benches was targeted by the Congress on a number of issues and the political bad blood will take time to normalize jeopardizing co-ordination within the Opposition benches.
Meanwhile, newly elected Speaker Rajesh Patnekar will be on test and has his hands full to effect a major shake-up of the sitting arrangements as a result of the switch over of the 10 Congress MLAs and the relegation of the three GFP MLAs and Independent Rohan Khaunte.
Also, Patnekar has revised the list of questions and those submitted by Kavlekar and the three other ministers sworn-in on Saturday - Michael Lobo, Filipe Neri Ferrao and Ms Jennifer Monserrate - have been
junked.
The four new ministers are expected to be allocated portfolios before the session begins on Monday and are expected to be extended the courtersies of a lenient outing on grounds they need time to study the transactions of their departments which may come up for scrutiny from the Opposition.
The session is slated to end on August 9.
Meanwhile, Sardesai has formally written to the Governor Mridula Sinha withdrawing support of his 3-member Goa Forward legislative party from the Sawant-led government.
“Political affairs committee and the legislature party wing of Goa Forward Party met today (14/7/2019) and has decided unanimously to withdraw
support to the BJP govt led by Dr. Pramod Sawant,” Sardesai said in the letter submitted to the Governor’s office.
Besides question hour, where members will seek to hold the government accountable, the House is expected to take up condolence motions over the deaths of several prominent personalities including former minister Dr Wilfred Mesquita and freedom fighter Mohan Ranade.
CM LIKELY TO HAVE
A SMOOTH SAILING
With the strength of the treasury benches sky-rocketing to 29, including two Independents, CM Sawant is expected to have a smooth sailing through business of the House
