Goa Congress MLAs to Meet Guv Mridula Sinha Today Evening in Bid to Dismiss Parrikar Govt

As BJP chief Amit Shah stepped in to keep the flock of BJP MLAs and allies together in Goa, Congress MLAs here are all set to meet Governor Mridula Sinha on Tuesday evening, with its demand of dismissing the Manohar Parrikar-led government and allowing the party to stake claim for forming an alternate government.

The Congress on Monday staked claim to form the government in Goa even as the BJP tried to reason with its allies who are getting restless to grab the chief minister’s chair.

The Congress, which has 16 members in the 40-member state Assembly, on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Governor in her absence, urging her not to dissolve the Assembly and instead invite the party to form the alternate government.

All the 16 Congress MLAs, led by their leader Chandrakant Kavlekar, had submitted the memorandum to Governor office.

Speaking to PTI, Kavlekar said the Governor, who was away from the state, arrived in Goa at 3 pm on Tuesday and her office called him for the meeting of the Congress legislators with her at 6.30 pm.

CM Manohar Parrikar’s failing health, which required him to be shifted to AIIMS-Delhi for further treatment, has resulted in a sudden political crisis in the coastal state.

Hours after Parrikar was flown for treatment to AIIMS, MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar had demanded that the “senior most minister” be handed over the government’s charge. The senior most minister in the Parrikar cabinet is Dhavalikar’s brother Sudin Dhavalikar.

The BJP had, however, ruled out any change of guard in Goa, saying Parrikar was doing fine even as the Congress staked its fourth claim to form the government.

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGF) and Goa Forward Party (GFP), allies of the ruling BJP in Goa, on Monday had said they were awaiting a solution to the political situation arising out of the indisposition of Parrikar.

Shah called up state minister and Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader Vijay Sardesai on Sunday and informed him that the BJP was sending a team of observers to the coastal state to take stock of the situation.