PANAJI
Former deputy speaker and ex-Environment minister Aleixo Sequeira has been unanimously nominated by opposition legislators as a candidate for the Speaker's post, former Chief Minister and Congress MLA Digambar Kamat said on Saturday.
Sequeira's unanimous selection took place at a meeting of opposition MLAs at the State legislative assembly complex on Saturday where opposition MLAs met to discuss floor strategy for the upcoming two-day session of the State Assembly which begins on March 29.
"One issue which was decided was, I will fight the Speaker's election. They have proposed my name," Sequeira himself said.
Kamat said that Sequeira's election was unanimous. All Congress MLAs present at the meeting backed Sequeira's candidature, so did the two Aam Aadmi Party MLAs who were present at the meeting.
When asked about the position of Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai and Revolutionary Goans MLA Viresh Borkar, Kamat said that both had telephonically agreed to accept the candidate finalised by the other opposition MLAs.
The election to the Speaker's post will be conducted on the first day of the two-day session by pro-tem Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar.
While the BJP has not yet finalised its candidate for the Speaker's post, Sequeira faces an uphill task considering the Pramod Sawant-led treasury benches enjoy the support of 25 MLAs in the 40-member State Assembly. The arithmetic leaves Sequeira with the support of just 15 MLAs. The Opposition would have to woo members from the treasury benches to see its candidate through.
The BJP incidentally has not announced its candidate for the Speaker's post.
