Sandesh Prabhudesai -Goanews 5 April 2005
The infighting within the Congress-led alliance has compelled the senior politicians here to join the demand made by the Bharatiya Janata Party to go for fresh polls by dissolving the Goa House rather than by-elections.
Goa is presently undergoing a brief Presidentâs rule by keeping the 40-member Assembly under suspended animation since 4 March, as a result of the month-long political crisis that toppled the BJP-led Manohar Parrikar government.
The election commission has to hold by-elections in five Assembly segments here by July as the seats had fallen vacant due to resignations of the five BJP legislators.
Though former deputy chief minister Philip Neri Rodrigues was also disqualified by the BJP-supporter speaker during the crisis, the seat is yet to be announced vacant, as the order has been challenged in the high court.
As the number game got stuck at 17-17, the Congress-led alliance could not prove its majority even after toppling the BJP-led government. They could now come to power only if they win all the five seats, which would be contested by the resigned former BJP legislators as the Congress candidates.
However, the alliance has started developing cracks with Micky Pacheco, one resigned ex-MLA, joining the Nationalist Congress Party. He has refused to the Congress candidate.
On the other hand, the United Goans Democratic Party has announced its decision to split from the alliance if they are not offered two of the five seats. The Congress however is adamant on contesting all the five seats.
The recent blow to the Congress came from the within with South Goa MP and strongman Churchill Alemao waging a public war against local PCC chief Luizinho Faleiro. Alemao has demanded his removal, alleging that the party bigwigs defeated his candidate in ZP elections.
Though Congress has publicly vowed to work âunitedlyâ in the forthcoming by-elections, senior partymen told goanews.com that they would approach the high command with a demand to go for dissolution and fresh elections as the infighting could ultimately help bringing back the BJP government to power.
Meanwhile, the local BJP delegation has left for the national capital, to meet the Election Commission, demanding dissolution of the House.
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Cheers,
Carlos
