By IANS
Panaji : Political fire fighters rushed to Goa to salvage the seven-month-old Congress government led by Digambar Kamat, as the political stage shifted out of the assembly and into back-stage dealings.
Leaders of the Congress and its ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) rushed to this state capital Thursday, a day after resignations of three ministers and a supporting legislator put the government in minority.
Formed in June 2007 after elections, the Kamat government was facing rebellion from an unspecified number of rebels – at least three of whom had come out openly and quit as ministers.
In the 40-seat assembly of India’s smallest state, the three ministers could be enough to topple the government. But the intrigue behind the scene means more could jump onto a winning bandwagon.
To Chief Minister Kamat’s relief, governments in Goa have seldom been toppled without the concurrence of the party in power in New Delhi despite the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) attempts.
So far, the BJP, which has 14 legislators, has preferred to play a behind-the-scenes role and allow ambitious Congress dissidents to dismantle their own government.
But, while the BJP seems reluctant to form a government of its own as of now, its support to forming any government is crucial and its leader Manohar Parrikar could attempt to head the next government at a latter stage.
Eight other MLAs – of the Congress and those currently supporting the ruling coalition – are seen as being part of the rebel group.
They include Speaker Pratapsing Rane’s son Vishwajeet Rane, controversial party-hopper Babush Monserrate, brothers Sudin and Deepak Dhavlikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Mickky Pacheco and Nilkant Halarnkar (both NCP), and Reginaldo Lourenco of the Save Goa Front.
Statements from Delhi have made it clear that the NCP duo do not have the blessings of their national leadership and party chief Sharad Pawar for switching support. They appeared to be acting on their own, possibly with the support of some local leaders.
Dramatic developments here late Wednesday night followed a week of speculation that revolts were brewing, with Health Minister Rane and Monserrate being behind the attempt, supported by Leader of Opposition Parrikar.
In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, a meeting charted the strategy to topple the government during the vote on the Finance Bill.
Two Congress ministers were found to be absent from the house Wednesday, with one of them claiming he had gone to Mumbai for a medical check-up.
Failure to get in the necessary numbers to pass the bill led the Congress government to adjourn the house, on the argument that a serious road accident had taken place in the state.
Vishwajeet Rane was quoted here as saying: “I had to go with the numbers. I couldn’t remain out. Development and creation of employment is important for us to serve our constituents. Hence we had to go with the majority group.”