Faleiro third CM in four months
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 26 November 1998 12:13 ISTIn a sudden late night development, Luizinho Faleiro was sworn in as Goa's third chief minister in last four months, bringing the Congress back to power.
Breaking the stalemate that prevailed throughout the day after coalition chief minister Dr Wilfred de Souza tendered his resignation early morning today at 1.15 am, Governor Lt Gen (Retd) J F R Jacob invited Faleiro to form the government.
the confusion had arisen as Dr Kashinath Jalmi, leader of another coalition partner - the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party - had staked claim to form the government, claiming support of 24 MLAs in the 40-member House. Faleiro, who also inducted rebel leader from de Souza's Goa Rajiv Congress - Dayanand Narvekar - as his deputy, later claimed that at least three more members from the GRC would rejoin the Congress, increasing his party strength to 22, besides support of one independent.
He plans to expand the cabinet, inducting at least 12 more, while also facing a floor test within two days simultaneously though the governor has given him 21 days to prove the majority. "My dharma would be to finish adharma", he claimed.