New Delhi:
Political tussle over next government in Goa continues on Tuesday even after BJP senior leader Manohar Parrikar was invited by state Governor Mridula Sinha to be the chief minister of the state.
On Saturday, Goa electorate gave a hung assembly with 10 seats in BJP account, 17 in Congress’ and 10 to others. Even though Congress was the largest party, BJP leadership managed a coup d’état and pulled off support from others to gain a majority in the state.
In retaliation, Congress has moves the Supreme Court against BJP’s attempt to form the government.
Congress’ argument gains stand as doubts have emerged over Goa Forward’s support to the BJP-led coalition. The local party had fought the elections on an anti-BJP plank and late agreed to join the coalition. The party’s president Prabhakar Timble had also quit his position in protest against the decision to align with the BJP.
“The Governor, under the Constitution, should have called the single largest party first and taken stock of the position. If the other side was claiming a majority, the Governor’s office still needed to call the Congress to discuss the situation. Elections are the people’s mandate and that needs to be respected first,” said Timble, who was the former Goa state election commissioner, told Indian Express.
Supreme Court has agreed to hear the plea filed by Congress in a special hearing on Tuesday.
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Meanwhile, BJP remains confident of forming a government in Goa on Tuesday as Manohar Parrikar has already resigned from his coveted Defence Minister portfolio on Monday and is prepping to take the oath for his former office at 5pm.
According to party’s state president Vinay Tendulkar, along with Parrikar, eight other candidates will take oath Tuesday, including two winning candidates each from Goa Forward and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and two Independents.
