Goa: Congress writes to Governor to stake claim to form-government
In the aftermath of Karnataka rumble, the Congress today staked claim to form the government in Goa, being the single-largest party in the Legislative Assembly held in 2017. Congress today met Governor Mridula Sinha and submitted a letter seeking an invite to the party to prove its majority on the floor of the House. It has given seven days to decide on its request.
14 MLAs were present during meeting
Fourteen of the 16 Congress legislators were present during the meeting as one of them is out of the country, while another one is hospitalized. "We requested the governor to follow the precedent of Karnataka and undo the mistake she had committed on March 12, 2017, when she invited the minority party (BJP) to form the government," Congress leader Chandrakant Kavlekar said.
Congress was single largest party in 2017 Goa elections
In Goa Assembly elections held in February last year, the Congress had bagged 17 seats in the 40-member House but falling short of the majority figure by four seats. The BJP, which had bagged 13 seats, firmed up an alliance with Goa Forward Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, both of which had secured three seats each, and also took the support of three Independents.
BJP formed government in Goa, in alliance with regional parties
The governor invited the BJP-led coalition to form the government. The present dispensation is headed by Manohar Parrikar, who is currently undergoing treatment in the US for a pancreatic ailment. The Congress currently has 16 members in the Goa Assembly as one of its legislators, Vishwajeet Rane, joined the BJP last year. Rane later won Valpoi Assembly by-poll on BJP ticket.
Congress has 21 MLAs to prove majority in Goa
"We have all required numbers with us to form the government. We can prove our numbers on the floor of the House. The magic figure of 21 is there with Congress...even without poaching into BJP-camp," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief Girish Chodankar said. "In Karnataka, the governor invited the single largest party, hence in Goa too, the same precedent should be followed," he added.
Despite JD(S)-Congress's 117 seats, BJP formed government in Karnataka
BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats in Karnataka, was invited by the governor to form the government despite the JD(S)-Congress combine staking the claim by citing the support of 117 MLAs. The Congress won 78 seats and the JD(S), 37. The majority-mark in Karnataka Assembly is 112 seats. Elections were held for all but two of the 224 seats.
