MAPUSA
All eyes are on the Congress legislators, as 40 MLAs and three MPs from the State will cast their vote to elect the 15th President of India on Monday.
For the Congress which barely managed to wade off a defection move by some of its MLAs last week, the Presidential election will be an acid test to find out whether all the 11 MLAs remain steadfast with the party or not.
Central Congress leaders had singled out Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo for trying to drive a wedge in the legislative wing of the party and also filed a disqualification petition against the duo before the Speaker.
While Lobo has been stripped off as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Kamat was removed as the permanent invitee to Congress Working Committee by the AICC president late Sunday evening.
Sources informed that there was a strong possibility of five Congress MLAs including Kamat and Lobo to cross vote in the Presidential election.
In what appears to be a foregone conclusion, the cards are clearly stacked in favour of the ruling BJP which has 20 MLAs besides enjoying the support of two MGP legislators and three Independents in the House of 40. The BJP also has two MPs in the State.
While the two Aam Aadmi Party legislators will vote for the Opposition candidate Yeshwant Sinha, the lone MLA of Revolutionary Goans Party Viresh Borkar has not made his stand clear. Both he and RGP President Manoj Parab refused to take calls.
The lone Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai said that he was with the Opposition.
Meanwhile, a polling booth has been set up at the Goa Legislative Assembly complex so that the MLAs can cast their vote and also attend the ongoing proceedings in the assembly.
The election process will be held between 10 am to 5 pm.
Assistant Returning Officer, Hercules Noronha informed that all 40 MLAs in the State will cast their vote while the MPs are expected to vote from Delhi.
“The MPs might vote from Delhi as they have to give prior 10 days prior intimation before voting. None of the MPs have informed about their plans to vote from Goa,” Noronha said.
Goa has three representatives in the Parliament, which includes two in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.
Union Minister of State for Tourism and Ports Shripad Naik of the BJP represents the North Goa seat while Francisco Sardinha of the Congress is the South Goa MP.
Vinay Tendulkar is the lone BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Goa.
TMC leader Luizinho Faleiro who is a Rajya Sabha MP will also vote. But he does not represent Goa as he was elected as an MP from West Bengal.
