Goa Forward Party faces voters’ backlash for supporting BJP

The Goa Forward Party is facing voters' wrath after it decided to support the BJP in forming government in the state.

Panaji, March 14: The coastal state of Goa is witnessing a high-voltage political drama. The drama is not restricted within the closed-door political meetings. In fact, voters have strongly protested over the Goa Forward Party's decision to support the Bharatiya Janata Party to rule the state once again. On social media, people of Goa have criticised the GFP after the local party decided to support the BJP in government formation in the state.

The voters of Goa say that the GFP has betrayed the residents of the state by aligning with the BJP. In fact, the party won three seats in the recently concluded Assembly elections on an anti-BJP plank. The GFP chief Prabhakar Timble has resigned as the party president.

"We had our whole campaign against the BJP, but our three legislators have decided to extend the support to the BJP. Now, I don't want to be the face of the party, thus I have resigned from post of party president." said Timble. "The Governor, under the Constitution, should have called the single largest party first and taken stock of the position. If the other side was claiming majority, the Governor's office still needed to call the Congress to discuss the situation. Elections are the people's mandate and that needs to be respected first," said Timble, who was the former Goa state election commissioner.

On Monday, Manohar Parrikar resigned as the country's defence minister to head the BJP's government in the coastal state. Parrikar is set to take oath as the CM of Goa on Tuesday after the BJP cobbled a coalition to form a government in the state. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha invited Parrikar to form the next government after he submitted a letter of support from 21 legislators on Sunday.

The BJP, which came second by winning 13 seats in the 40-member assembly managed to garner support from other parties and Independents to attain majority and derail the Congress, which had emerged as the largest party with 17 seats.

Three MLAs from the GFP, three from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and two Independents have pledged their support to Parrikar. The lone Nationalist Congress Party MLA was also claimed to have extended support.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has agreed to urgently hear the Congress' petition challenging appointment of Parrikar as Goa CM. In a dramatic development on Monday, the Congress has moved the apex court against Goa governor's decision to invite Parrikar to form government in the state, despite the BJP emerging as the second largest party. The Congress claimed that the Governor should have invited them to form government, as they are the single largest party with 17 seats.

OneIndia News