Cong 'prepared' for mid-term polls
GOANEWS & PTI, PANAJI | 15 March 2010 22:07 IST
The Congress Legislature Party has thrown up a challenge before the Group 7 by showing their preparedness to face mid-term polls, by dissolving the Assembly.
Urban development minister Joaquim Alemao as well as Calangute MLA Agnel Fernandes confirmed the news.
However, officially, CLP spokesperson Mauvin Godinho denied of having taken any such decision.
"But with a huge victory of the Congress in the recently concluded Zilla Panchayat elections, we are in a most comfortable position to face even the mid-term polls", he said.
Talking to Pramod Acharya, news editor of a local TV channel Prudent, in his ‘Head On' programme, Joaquim was critical of some of the members of G7 threatening to dissolve the Assembly, after a formal cabinet meeting last week.
He was particularly more critical of tourism minister Mickky Pacheco threatening to face mid-term polls. "Let the polls be declared and we will finish him", he said.
Agnel also told local media that the CLP was unanimous on a view that the Congress should show its preparedness to face mid-term polls rather than making the government survive with threats from the alliance partners.
In the 40-member Assembly, Congress is having 18 members. Their alliance partners include 7 of the Nationalist Congress Party, 2 of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, education minister Babush Monseratte of the United Goans Democratic Party and health minister Vishwajeet Rane, an independent.
The seven alliance partners however have come together as G7. The Congress plans to drop one of their MGP minister Sudin Dhawalikar, which NCP chief Sharad Pawar has objected to.
Sudin is allegedly having close ties with Sanatan Saunstha, which was involved in bomb blasts in Margao on the Diwali eve night.
When they recently met Pawar to once again complain about the Congress, Pawar advised them to sort out the issues with chief minister Kamat.
"The Chief Minister will be meeting the Congress high command and discuss the issue with them. The Congress is presently in a good situation in the state and can go for the fresh verdict, if need arises," CLP spokesperson Godinho told reporters outside chief minister's official residence this afternoon.
The CLP today resolved not to give up to the pressure tactics adopted by G7, which has consolidated itself after an unsuccessful attempt by Congress to drop Dhawalikar from the cabinet.
The CLP spokesperson said that the NCP, a major alliance partner, is not adhering to coalition dharma by keeping their option open to pull out from the government.
Who will pay for the cost of mid-term polls Mr Alemao? For some reasons Politicians are so short sighted due to lack of any formal education and work experience other than politics .. of course money and muscle based. .. the mind seems to be absent in almost 90% of them
In this recession if we end up with a mid-term poll the state will go more in deficit and hence this should not be encouraged.
Is this the same democracy which the framers of the Constitution envisaged at the time of gaining independence? Are the elected representatives, the servants of the people or the people are their servants? A common man struggles to make a living where as the corrupt politicians amass wealth for their next seven generations! One Madhu Koda gets exposed in over fifty years may be by sheer accident, or his reluctance to share the loot with the corrupt and powerful, where as hundreds of Madhu Kodas carry on their business of looting the public exchequer by adopting one or other tactics under the guise of serving the public! Vulgar display of ill gotten wealth at the time of their sons/daughters' marriages or at the time of elections is a common scenario! Will this degeneration end with a bloody revolution as the history teaches us, or is there any other softer option open to get rid of these exploiters and parasites?