Parrikar claims it's 17-17 in Goa assembly after day of politicking
From Frederick Noronha
Goanet.org
PANAJI (Goa), Feb 28: After a day of two resignations, one disqualification and intense political uncertainty, Goa's former BJP ruling party claimed that it was once again tied 17-17 in the state assembly -- but not before its outgoing Speaker disqualified a Congressman.
In an anti-climatic series of development, where the BJP kept everyone guessing and stunned, the outgoing party's Speaker disqualified Goa's deputy chief minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues. Within minutes, soon after the Goa assembly met, the announcement of both the BJP's Speaker and deputy Speaker was announced.
BJP's allies have been deserting the party since end-January, but the party lead by strong-man Manohar Parrikar has shown its determination to somehow stay on in power. Some political circles here believe it might be pressing for a constitutional crisis of sorts, to press for the dissolution of the 40-seat Goa assembly.
Since 1990, Goa has seen a round of intense political instability, with some 14 to 15 chief ministers in as many years. While the BJP has blamed the Congress for being unable to govern, the BJP itself has contributed to preying on the ambitions of dissenting Congressmen, and luring them over with promises of office and more.
On Monday morning, the outgoing BJP Speaker Vishwas Satarkar disqualified Filipe Neri Rodrigues, one of Goa's two deputy CMs in the Congress dispensation which took over on February 2.
(Rodrigues got elected on an Independent ticket, but the BJP claims they have documents to show that he joined their party at one stage. Congress leaders have charged the BJP with forgery.)
Apparently anticipating a crisis, the Congress paraded their MLAs before the governor.
In the session, which began at 2.30 pm as scheduled -- where the one point agenda laid down by the Governor was the vote of confidence in the Pratapsing Rane ministry -- the Speaker Satarkar announced the resignation from the House of BJP's former deputy chief minister Digambar Kamat.
(Kamat had quit his seat, after changing parties. Under the new anti-defection laws, anyone changing sides needs to resign from the House to avoid anti-defection penalties.)
Next, the Speaker announced the resignation of deputy Speaker Narahari Haldankar, a low-profile MLA from the BJP side. Taking everyone by surprise, the Speaker went on to say that he was himself "greatly pained, humiliated and angered" by the allegations and charges made against his functioning by the Governor S C Jamir, Congress CM Pratapsing Rane and Congress general secretary Margaret Alva.
He said he would be "demitting" office, and adjourned the House sine die.
Former BJP chief minister later told journalists that this had caused a "temporary Constitutional bottleneck". He claimed that the situation was back to what it was on February 2, 2005 -- the date when the Congress government took over at a late-night swearing-in.
Instead of it being 18-18 then, the situation was now 17-17 for both the BJP and Congress, claimed Parrikar. He was levelling off one defection -- by ex-BJP deputy CM Digambar Kamat -- against the disqualified deputy CM on the Congress side, Filipe Neri Rodrigues.
Interestingly, Congress CM Pratapsing Rane insisted on legislature secretary to announce the adjournment of the House, obviously fearing that it might be reconvened and a vote taken unfavourable to his government.
Later in the afternoon, Congress MLAs were huddled at a meeting in the palatial new Rs 36-crore Goa assembly secretariat.
Goa's 40 seat assembly has seen the resignation of five of its MLAs, after changing sides and ditching the earlier ruling BJP. With the disqualification of Rodrigues, if this is upheld, the size of the assembly comes down to 34.
Every MLA counts, and the BJP withdrew its Speaker as it would otherwise be outnumbered -- the Speaker has a vote only in case of a tie.
Speaking to journalists, leader of the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) Radharao Gracias, said it would move for disqualification of its MLA Matanhy Saldanha, with the new Speaker appointed by the Governor.
UGDP, which initially had three MLAs on its side and played a king-maker's role in supporting the BJP in power and allowing it to continue, changed sides in January-end this year. Now, the party supports the Congress-lead coalition, but its lone MLA, former fire-brand activist and traditional fishermen's leader Matanhy Saldanha continues to support the BJP.
On Sunday, the UGDP had issued public newspaper advertisements calling on its lone MLA, Saldanha, to be present in the Assembly and support the Congress in its struggle for power.
Gracias said the non-BJP alliance was also likely to approach the courts for a stay on the disqualification of one of Goa's two deputy chief ministers, Filipe Neri Rodrigues.
