The Nationalist Congress Party has slapped a show-cause notice on its MLA, Churchill Alemao, for backing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance during the floor test in Goa Assembly on Thursday, reported PTI. Alemao, who is NCP’s lone MLA (from Benaulim constituency) in Goa, is also a former chief minister.
In the notice, the NCP accused Alemao of violating the party line. It said that the MLA “supported them [the BJP-led alliance] in formulation of their government without seeking the consent of the central leadership, which is against the party’s constitution.” NCP’s working committee member SR Kohli told PTI that Alemao has been given seven days’ time to defend himself and explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him.
On Thursday, the BJP had proved its majority in Goa Assembly after garnering the support of 22 MLAs, including 13 of its own. While 16 Congress MLAs voted against the motion, one was absent from the proceedings. Legislator Vishwajit Rane later resigned from the party.
The trust vote came as a massive blow to the Congress, which had won more seats in the state than the BJP. The Congress had 17 seats against BJP’s 13, but had not managed to cobble together an alliance to reach the halfway mark. They had then accused the BJP of buying legislators.
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