Parrikar wins trust vote with 22 while Vishwajeet walks out
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 16 March 2017 13:26 IST
The first day of the Goa Assembly marked with a spark of protest in the opposition Congress while chief minister Manohar Parrikar won the trust vote by 22 against 16.
Valpoi MLA Vishwajeet Rane walked out of the House while voting was called out by pro-tem speaker Siddharth Kuncalienker.
Vishwajeet has already written a letter to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, expressing his displeasure over the way in which the local leadership is handling the affairs.
On the other hand, NCP’s sole legislator Churchill Alemao as well as third independent Prasad Gaonkar stood up to support the Parrikar government.
This has taken Parrikar’s coalition to tally to 23 (Kuncalienker, being the pro-tem speaker didn’t vote).
The trust vote was taken without any debate on the confidence vote.
The Parrikar has now on his side 13 of the BJP, 3 each of the MGP and Goa Forward as well as all the 3 independents.
He is planning to finalise portfolios at the cabinet meeting tomorrow, which would be formally announced after the Governor is back. She is presently out of station.
The House would now reassemble on 22nd March to elect the speaker and the deputy speaker, Governor’s address o 23rd March and budget on 24th March.
Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho is tipped to be the speaker while Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar for the deputy speaker’s post.
Parrikar has said the budget would be more of a document and hardly any speech as the financial year is coming to an end.
He would probably present a proper budget speech later.
All non-BJP parties must demand for counting paper votes to match EVM votes. Re-election must be held with ballot paper. BJP will be the winner if EVM is used.