'Disrespect to alliance partners behind Goa crisis'

Disrespect to alliance partners during Pratibha Patil's Goa tour to seek support for presidential poll is one of the reasons why the Congress-led government plunged into minority, former chief minister Churchill Alemao said.

"Congress took us for granted during the presidential poll. They did not even bother to call us when (United Progressive Alliance-Left Presidential candidate) Pratibha Patil came to Goa," Churchill Alemao, Save Goa Front legislator and spokesman of Goa Democratic Alliance told PTI.

The Save Goa Front and United Goans Democratic Party had extended outside support to Digamber Kamat-led government.

Both the parties had voted for Congress candidate in presidential polls.

"They (Congress) took us for granted. Although they wanted our votes they did not bother to call us to meet the President," Alemao said, citing it as one of the reasons why his party withdrew from the Congress-led coalition.

Pratibha visited Goa a couple of days before the presidential poll, ending her first phase of visit.

She had met Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Maharashtra Gomantak Party legislators seeking their support in the poll.

Alemao said they were forced to back out from the government because "Kamat was not functioning properly."

"This is not a dirty game. People have come together because government was not functioning properly," the SGF leader said.

Alemao, former Congressman, cited that the chief minister's allotting important departments like Finance and Home to his colleagues was "unexpected."