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Goa government falls again

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panjim

The Luizinho Faleiro-led Congress government, which had a majority of one in the forty-member state assembly, has run into rough weather within 68 days with two ministers resigning this evening and returning to former chief minister Dr Wilfred de Souza's camp.

In a surprise development, de Souza, leader of the Goa Rajiv Congress, rushed to the Cabo Raj Bhavan to stake his claim to form the government. He was accompanied by politicians of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Bharatiya Janata Party, two independents, and one Congress minister who resigned.

On the other hand, Faleiro recommended dissolution of the state assembly and imposition of President's rule in the tourist state as "such instability and floor-crossing is not healthy for Indian democracy".

Faleiro said he presumed he had lost his majority in the House.

Social Welfare Minister Deu Mandrekar had recently split from de Souza's GRC to return to the Congress along with three others while independent MLA John Manuel Vaz had shifted sides, to be also made a minister. Both Mandrekar and Vaz have now withdrawn support to the government.

Addressing journalists after returning from the Raj Bhavan, de Souza claimed he would get at least two more Congress legislators on his side, increasing his strength to 23. He is, however, waiting for Governor J F R Jacob to take a decision.

"The only option Faleiro is left with is to resign or face a floor test," said de Souza.

The Congress camp, however, said Faleiro would recommend dissolution of the House to the governor.

Though Mandrekar's act of going against the party attracts disqualification, de Souza seems to be least bothered about it. "They will cut their own throat by doing it," he said. Even without Mandrekar, de Souza enjoys the support of 20 members in a house of 40. The Congress on the other hand will be reduced to 18, including one independent, if Mandrekar is disqualified.

At present, the Congress is the largest group in the House, with 19 members. The GRC has six MLAs, the MGP eight, and the BJP four. One independent-turned-minister Victoria Fernandes supports the Congress while de Souza is claiming the support of two other independents.

The three-and-a-half-month-old coalition led by de Souza, who had split from the Congress with nine others in July last, was pulled down by four of his GRC colleagues who rejoined the Congress in November. Faleiro, one among them, became chief minister.

Goans, however, had expressed surprise at the governor's decision to allow the Congress to form the government with a razor-thin majority instead of going for dissolution. Dr de Souza expects the governor to apply the same criterion now and allow him to return to power.

Faleiro, however, is pushing for President's rule, and said the Congress is ready to join hands with the BJP to press for the demand. The BJP has long favoured a fresh election in the state.

Though the BJP still favours dissolution, its local secretary, Subhash Salkar, said they would support Dr de Souza's government "from outside" if he is invited to form the government.

MGP leader Dr Kashinath Jhalmi has demanded dismissal of the Congress government, but is yet to decide whether to join de Souza's coalition or support it from outside.

The MGP had participated in de Souza's earlier government while the BJP had supported it from outside.

The election to the state assembly is less than 10 months away.

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