Willy threatens to withdraw support
09 June 2005 19:00 IST The four-day old Pratapsing Rane government has plunged into crisis as deputy chief minister Wilfred de Souza, belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party, has threatened to withdraw support to the Congress-led ruling alliance.
Dr de Souza told reporters in Surat at the NCP convention that party president Sharad Pawar will shortly take a final decision as newly elected party MLA Micky Pacheco has been denied cabinet berth in tomorrow’s cabinet expansion.
The Congress is however trying to rope in lone United Goans Democratic Party legislator Mathany Saldhana, to save its alliance government.
UGDP general secretary Prashant Naik said they would support the Rane government.
Rane was sworn in the chief minister on 7 June, after the two-member NCP and one-member Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party officially supported the 18-member Congress.
Accordingly, NCP local president Dr de Souza and MGP’s Sudin Dhawalikar were also inducted in the cabinet, along with Rane.
However, the controversy arose as the Congress refused to induct Pacheco in the cabinet, scheduled to be expanded tomorrow morning.
In the 39-member Assembly, Congress-led alliance was holding majority with 18-member Congress, two-member NCP and one-member MGP, against 17-member Bharatiya Janata Party.
Though de Souza now plans to withdraw support, the Congress can still be in majority of 20, if the UGDP supports them along with the MGP.
With a tie of 19 each on both the sides with NCP-BJP combine on the other hand, Congress speaker Francisco Sardinha could save the government by giving his casting vote in Rane’s favour.
The three-month old President’s rule in Goa was revoked on 7 June, following the by-elections held on 2 June, where the Congress won three seats while the NCP and the BJP had won one seat each.
