Cong issues whip to trap Mauvin at Dy Speaker’s election
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 13 January 2016 21:08 IST
Congress has decided to trap Mauvin Godinho tomorrow at the deputy speaker’s election by issuing a whip to ‘attend and vote for the Congress candidate’.
Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, who is contesting for the deputy speaker’s post against BJP candidate Vishnu Wagh, is also the chief whip of the party.
“We have published the notice of whip in the newspapers since Mauvin has not signed the notice”, Madkaikar told goanews.com.
Mauvin has openly declared joining the Bharatiya Janata Party after the present term is over and does not even attend the Congress Legislature Party meetings.
“If he does not attend the session or vote in favour of the Congress candidate, the party will file a disqualification petition against him”, said Madkaikar.
Congress, which had only 9 members in the 40-member House, had earlier expelled St Cruz MLA Babush Monseratte from the party, making him unattached member.
Though Mauvin started openly criticising his own party, the Congress had strategically decided not to expel but to isolate him by not taking any action against the one-time Congress loyalist.
The party has now jumped at the opportunity to trap him by issuing a whip only for this election.
The Congress had missed the chance yesterday since Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had chosen Mauvin to be the Pro Tem Speaker.
Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monseratte, who is still with the Congress unlike her husband Babush, will however not attend the session tomorrow as she is out of station and has sought party’s permission.
Babush had skipped yesterday’s election of the speaker, leaving everybody wondering whether he supports the BJP.
While he attended the session today, it needs to be seen whether he attends the election, and if he attends, whom he votes for.
