Senior Congress leader, Digambar Kamat said on Friday that MLAs from other parties have approached Congress to form a government in Goa, in light of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s delay in doing the same, reported PTI.
“It is loud and clear that all is not well in the Bharatiya Janata Party and hence the people of Goa are deprived of a government to govern the state,” said Kamat, according to the Hindustan Times.
In the state election results announced on March 10, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 20 seats, just one short of the majority mark of 21 in the 40-member Assembly.
The party has since then, claimed to have secured support from two MLAs of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and three independent MLAs.
However, the BJP has not yet approached the governor to form the government. The state unit of the BJP has not elected its legislature party chief either.
“The BJP leadership is buying time, giving one excuse or the other, and has completely failed to give a clear picture on the formation of the government, “ said Kamat, speaking from the Congress House in Panaji, according to the Hindustan Times.
The Congress emerged victorious in 11 constituencies and its ally Goa Forward Party in one. The BJP secured one-third of the vote share, followed by Congress with 23.46%.
Kamat appealed to all elected non-BJP MLAs to “take steps” to allow the full formation of a government in Goa.
“The Congress party is open for all options to ensure a non-BJP government is formed in Goa which will actually uphold the verdict of the 2022 assembly polls,” said the former Goa Chief Minister, according to The Indian Express.
Congress MLA and former Advocate General of Goa Carlos Ferreira called the delay a “constitutional impasse”, and asked the governor to intervene, reported The Indian Express.
‘Just a formality’, says BJP
Reacting to Congress Goa’s remarks, BJP State President, Sadanand Tanavde called the Sonia Gandhi-led party “opportunists”.
“BJP is a national party and we have won big in so many states and we will shortly announce the programme for Goa as well,” said Tanavde, according to India Today.
BJP MLA Govind Gaude said that the government will be formed under the leadership of Pramod Sawant, and only a formal announcement is left. “The people of Goa know that the BJP government will be formed; only the formality of swearing-in is left,” said Gaude, reported the Hindustan Times.
The delay is also because of the Shigmo festival, claimed Gaude, according to In Goa 24x7.
Goa Chief Minister and BJP leader Pramod Sawant won the Sanquelim constituency by a narrow margin of 666 votes. In Panaji, BJP’s Atanasio Monserrate defeated former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s son, Utpal Parrikar, by just 716 votes.
In the 2017 elections, the Congress had emerged the single-largest party with 17 seats. However, the BJP had quickly formed alliances and staked claim to form the government before the Congress could.
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