Congress stakes claim to form government in Goa, writes to governor

The Congress on Saturday wrote to the government of Goa, staking claim to form the government in in the state. In the letter, the Congress asked governor Mridula Sinha to dismiss the BJP-led government which is in "minority" and call the "single-largest party Congress to form government” . It also said "any attempt to bring Goa under President's rule will be illegal and will be challenged".

The Congress has said the BJP MLA's death has brought down the party's majority in the Goa assembly. Congress has said in its letter to the Governor that it is the single largest party in the House now. Former Goa deputy chief minister and BJP lawmaker Francis D'Souza died in February. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital after a cancer surgery in the US.

Meanwhile, the Goa BJP has called for a meeting of its MLAs in Panaji office on Saturday evening.

Even last year, the opposition Congress in Goa claimed that it had the support of over 21 legislators in the 40-member Assembly, giving it enough strength to form the government in the state. The Congress, which is the single-largest party with 16 MLAs, has already staked claim to form the government in the coastal state.

The opposition party's claim had come at a time when Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi for a pancreatic ailment.

@INCIndia stakes claim to form government in Goa, writes to Governor to dismiss BJP-led government pic.twitter.com/iOukv4B8zp

— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) March 16, 2019