Faleiro stakes claim to form Govt
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 20 November 1998 12:46 ISTThe Congress in Goa, which was dislodged from power three months ago due to rebellion within the party, has staked claim to form the government under the leadership of state opposition leader Luizinho Faleiro, with a wafer-thin majority of 21 members in the 40-member House.
Opposing any move to dissolve the House and impose President's Rule in the tourist state in case the present government is toppled, the Congress has also demanded that the coalition government led by Dr Wilfred de Souza be sacked. Though governor J F R Jacob has refused to comment anything at this stage, Bharatiya Janata Party, supporting the coalition government from outside, claims that the governor has assured them to settle the issue on the floor of the House. The Assembly session is summoned on 2 December.
In a significant development following three ministers resigning from the three-month old coalition government yesterday late evening, four members of de Souza's Goa Rajiv Congress joined back the Congress party today, withdrawing support to the present government. Altogether 10 members had split from the ruling Congress in July.
"Situation would change in next 12 days", claims GRC general secretary Suresh Parulekar, who is presently holding the fort here in the absence of de Souza, who is away in London attending the World Tourism Mart. He is arriving here on Sunday morning.
Following resignations by three ministers, de Souza yesterday through a facsimile message had dropped Dayanand Narvekar, the rebel leader, from the cabinet while keeping the option open for the duo to come back. But this move was countered today with all three of them, along with deputy speaker Deu Mandrekar, joining back to the Congress fold.
The Congress was having only 16 members earlier including one independent in the 40-member House, which is now swollen to 21 with four new entrants and John Manuel Vaz, another independent, joining the Congress camp.
Maharashtra's Rajya Sabha MP Govindrao Adik, the high command emissary, later claimed that more GRC members would come back, though he did not favour Dr Willy's comeback to the party fold. He also claimed that this action was not in contravention of CWC's Panchmarhi resolution that no defectors would be readmitted and given important positions.
While Adik described the split as a wise decision "in the interest of the country", Narvekar claimed that he was going back to the Congress since Dr Willy had humiliated him while corruption was also growing in the coalition. "He also could not provide financial stability", he added.
Delegations of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which is part of the coalition government, as well as of the BJP met the governor separately earlier today morning, requesting him to allow Dr Willy to prove his majority on the floor of the House, as per the Supreme Court decision.
Adik however strongly demanded dismissal of the government rather than waiting for the Assembly session, since letters submitted by the Congress and two independents is enough proof that de Souza has lost the majority. They are waiting for the governor's decision before planning future course of action.
While both the MGP and the BJP have demanded dissolution of the House if the government is toppled, Faleiro strongly defies the move stating recommending President's Rule at this stage would be undemocratic on the part of the governor.
