Goa govt survives floor test, BJP flays Speaker's decision

Panaji, July 30 (UNI) The 53-day-old Digambar Kamat government in Goa today won the confidence motion by a voice vote, amid pandemonium and walkout by the Goa Democratic Alliance members following the Speaker's decision to restrain three legislators from voting.

As soon as the House met at 1430 hrs, Speaker Pratapsinh Rane announced that he was restraining the two members of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and lone dissident Congress woman legislator Victoria Fernandes, who was absent, from voting as interim relief to two disqualification petitions filed against them.

On his direction, the Chief Minister moved the motion of confidence which was adopted by a voice vote despite strong opposition from the GDA members and points of order raised by BJP leader Manohar Parrikar.

The Speaker asked them to ''sit down'' and then proceeded to conclude the remaining business, including adoption of the debate on various budgetary demands and the Goa Appropriation Bill, 2007 --- all in the absence of the entire Opposition.

Mr Rane told the House he had to submit a report on the conduct of the trial of strength in response to a directive of Governor S C Jamir by 1530 hrs.

The House was then adjourned sine die, one day ahead of schedule.

In New Delhi, the Congress defended the action of the Speaker, saying the interim decision of the Chair was as mandated by the Constitution. The party said the Speaker had acted within his powers under the tenth Schedule of the Constitution when he passed the order.

However, flaying Mr Rane's decision as ''murder of democracy'', the BJP said it exposed the undemocratic face of the Congress.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the party would raise the issue in Parliament, move court and organise public demonstrations.

The voting strength of the Congress-led coalition government stood at 18 (Congress-14, NCP-3 and Independent-1), including the Speaker who has the right to a ''casting vote'' in case of tie. On the other hand, the voting strength of the GDA was reduced to 18.

The Speaker later clarified that he could not exercise his ''casting vote'' in the House as the Opposition did not press for division.

The ruling coalition members thanked all the legislators for continuing to support the government through ''thick and thin''.

Talking to mediapersons outside the House later, Mr Parrikar said the action of the Speaker was totally ''undemocratic and dictatorial'' and the GDA would lodge their protest with the Governor and also demand the Kamat government's dismissal.

He said there was no question of restraining Ms Fernandes from voting as she had resigned from the House. The Speaker also did not bother to send advance notice to the MGP members about the disqualification petition against them, Mr Parrikar said.

All 20 members of the GDA, meanwhile, proceeded in a bus to the Raj Bhavan to lodge their protest with the Governor and demand the Kamat government's dismissal.

Asked about the GDA's next move, Mr Parrikar told UNI, ''I will tell you our strategy if the Governor fails to accept our demands.'' UNI