PANAJI
Appointing Manohar Parrikar as the Chief Minister of the State, Governor Mridula Sinha on Sunday has asked Parrikar to prove majority on the Floor of the House within 15 days after administering the oath of office.
The press note issued by the Secretary to Governor Rupesh Kumar Thakur has stated: “Governor of Goa Mridula Sinha has appointed Manohar Parrikar, Leader of the Goa BJP Legislature Party, as the Chief Minister of Goa today. Manohar Parrikar has submitted evidence before the Governor, the support of 13 MLAs of Bharatiya Janata Party, 3 MLAs of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, 3 MLAs of Goa Forward Party and 2 independent MLAs, thus having a total strength of 21 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly.”
“Further, Governor has asked Manohar Parrikar to prove majority on the floor of the House in the Legislative Assembly Session within 15 days after administration of oath of office and secrecy”, stated the note.
In a day of fast-paced developments, the Bhartiya Janata Party succeeded in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. On March 11, the party had 13 MLAs-elect, but by the end of March 12, its ranks swelled to 21, with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party, with three seats each and two independents “ Rohan Khaunte and Govind Gaude, pledging their support to the BJP.
Parrikar has resigned as union defence minister and is slated to take charge in Goa as chief minister, though the matter of which BJP MLA-elect would resign to accommodate him is yet to be sorted out.
The move to stitch together a government with support from smaller parties, labelled as ‘others’ by exit pollsters, started on the night of March 11, with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari flying into Goa to begin the process. Once MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar had announced that he would support the BJP if Parrikar was the chief minister, it seemed like the key piece of the puzzle was in place. The GFP was made an offer it could not refuse “ three cabinet berths, and it came on board to complete the most difficult part of the game plan.
The Congress started the day with the election of the legislature party leader, the man who would be chief minister, through secret ballot in the hope of forming government, but ended it by appointing Babu Kavlekar as its nominee for the post of leader of the opposition. It is learnt that the Congress had approached the MGP with an offer on Saturday night which was rejected after which it opened negotiations with the GFP which seemed inclined to team-up with it. However, equations changed on Sunday after it became known that Luizinho Faleiro had been elected CLP leader. By afternoon, it became apparent that the GFP had gone over to the BJP and the Congress had lost the numbers game.
The new coalition led by Parrikar met the governor on Sunday evening to stake its claim to form government, and it has been given 15 days to prove its majority on the floor of the House.
