Goa government headed for another crisis

The nine-month old Digamber Kamat-led Congress government in Goa may be heading for another 'testing time' with 'everything not well' within the coalition.

While two ministers, one each from Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, have locked horns on developmental issues, influential United Goans Democratic Party legislator Atanasio Monserratte is lobbying hard for a ministerial berth.

Adding to possible trouble, Congress legislator Pandurang Madkaikar, sacked from the Cabinet, has decided to approach Congress president Sonia Gandhi with the demand to reinstate his ministerial position.

"Either he remain in the government or I," is how tourism minister and NCP legislator Fransisco alias Mickky Pacheco issued a publicly warning on Wednesday, accusing Congress minister Churchill Alemao of being 'anti-people'.

Both the ministers are at logger heads over the developmental works in Benaulim constituency represented by Pacheco. NCP had earlier demanded that Public Works Department portfolio be stripped off Alemao.

The Sharad Pawar-led party, which has formed a front of its own comprising three of its legislators, two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party legislators and an independent Vishwajeet Rane, has been pressing for taking away the PWD department from Alemao.

"The high command (NCP) is with me. I will take my stand within two weeks," Pacheco said.

Meanwhile, former town and country planning minister Monserratte, who was part of the last two toppling bids, has rushed to Delhi seeking a ministerial berth. Monserratte, who is lobbying hard to get the position, is camping in Delhi with the demand.

If Monserratte has to be accommodated, Congress will have to drop one of its ministers, furthering the discontent among the Congress ranks.

The party has already dropped its legislator Pandurang Madkaikar from the Cabinet to pave way for the induction of Ramakrishna Dhavalikar, an MGP legislator.

The former minister, who is the lone ST representative in the Congress, will lobby to regain the ministerial berth.