Stalemate continues over instability of Kamat Government in Goa

Panaji, July 27 (UNI) The Damocle's Sword of ''instability'' still hangs over the 50-day old Congress-led coalition government headed by Digambar Kamat even as the nascent anti-Congress coalition -- Goa Democratic Alliance -- continues to demand Governor S C Jamir to sack the government.

The GDA leaders delegation led by BJP Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar and its chairman Anil Salgaoncar are likely to call on the governor soon after his arrival here this evening and broach him of the ''minority status'' of the government.

They took strong exception to Speaker Pratapsingh Rane postponing the assembly session till Monday according to a ''pre-planned strategy'' to give a temporary reprieve to the minority government avoiding it facing defeat on the floor of the House yesterday.

''This gives scope for Congress to indulge in horse trading to win over some vulnerable members of the GDA to its advantage even as the party started threatening with imposing the President's rule or keeping the House in suspended animation if the latter did not toe their line,'' Mr Parrikar said.

Meanwhile, the rebel lone Congress legislator Victoria Fernandes, accompanied by the GBA leaders, including Churchil Alemao(SGF), Babush Monserrate(UGDP), Francis D'Souza(BJP) and Sudin Davlikar (MGP), tried in vain to call on speaker Pratapsingh Rane at the Assembly complex this afternoon.

They had, however, submitted her letter of resignation to the Legislature Secretary T N Dhruva Kumar, requesting him to forward it to the speaker, who was however not available on telephone.

The delegation latter went to call on the speaker at his Altinho official residence to personally handover the letter of resignation to him as required under the rules of procedure for consideration of the plea.

She condemned the attitude of the speaker in not keeping with the appointment and trying to avoid meeting her for obvious reasons.

She had triggered the political crisis yesterday by announcing her resignation from the Congress followed by withdrawal of two-member MGP and one independent in the coalition, upsetting the apple cart of Digmbar Kamat government.

She continues to be a legislator as long as the speaker did not accept the resignation preceded by hearing, according to the procedure.

Mr Kumar later told UNI that he had told the delegation that the resignation letter was not ''in order'' under rule 251 of the Rules of Procedure and conduct of the business of the Goa Legislative Assembly.

If it was not in order as per requirement, it will be straight away rejected, he said. The delegation was told to redraft the one line letter as per the set rules of procedure for consideration.

The GBA claims that it had a strength of 21, including Victoria Fernandes, on its side as against the Congress 12 with NCP-three and Independent one with speaker not counted for voting except in case of a tie.

The CM on the otherhand maintains that he will prove the majority on the floor of the House on Monday and that his crowd was in tact.

He blamed the BJP for initiating the game of destabilisation with the help of money bag parties.

UNI