CM apprises Sonia of political situation in Goa

Panaji, Aug 2: A delegation of Congress leaders led by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat today apprised the party President Sonia Gandhi of the political situation in Goa.

Besides the Chief Minister, the delegation which called on Ms Gandhi in New Delhi at her residence at 1000 hrs included AICC General Secretary in-charge of Goa Desk Ms. Margret Alva, AICC secretary Shantaram Naik, state President of NCP and former deputy chief minister Dr Wilfred De'Souza, former speaker Francisco Sardinha and former Union Minister Ramakant Khalap.

Mr Shantaram later told UNI that he was happy that the Kamat Government which took over the reins of Goa on June 8, won the vote of confidence on the floor of the House on July 30.

The delegation had also explained to the party chief the machinations of the BJP-led Goa Democratic Front that made an abortive attempt to topple the government.

The delegation had yesterday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and informed him of the political developments in the island state including the government winning the vote of confidence.

Meanwhile, highly-placed party sources maintained that the question of imposing the President's Rule in Goa does not arise with the Kamat-led government winning the vote of confidence.

The Digambar Kamat government won the vote of confidence by ''voice vote'' with speaker Pratapsinh Rane ''restraining'' 2 MGP legislators and the lone congress woman legislator from voting while giving an ex-party interim relief to two Congress legislators who filed disqualification petitions against the three.

The MGP had yesterday filed a petition in the Supreme Court praying for quashing the ''undemocratic'' decision of the speaker.

It would come up for hearing on August 6.

The BJP on the otherhand, is planning to move to supreme court seeking a directive to the speaker to reconvene the House for another trial of strength.

The actual trial as per the set procedure had not taken place on July 30 as per the Governor's directive, the BJP avers.

The NDA leaders called on President Pratibha Patil at Rashtrapathi Bhavan yesterday and protested the alleged ''partisan'' role of the Speaker and the Governor against the GDA.

Both the groups are still in Delhi with the GDA still hopeful of forming the government in Goa and the Congress-led coalition impressing upon the Centre that there was no need for imposing President's Rule at all.

UNI