Faleiro resigns, Willy told to stake claim
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 08 February 1999 11:27 IST
In a sudden development, chief minister Luizinho Faleiro tendered his resignation today afternoon, few hours before facing the trust vote in the House.
Governor J F R Jacob, while accepting his resignation, has asked former chief minister Dr Wilfred de Souza to stake a fresh claim in view of the new developments.
If de Souza cannot submit a fresh letter to the governor with 21 signatures, then the unstable situation may pave way for the use of article 356 to impose the President’s rule, while dissolving the House. The BJP appears to have changed its earlier decision to support de Souza.
When contacted, de Souza could not say confidently whether the BJP would continue supporting him. "I have no idea. I have to talk to them again", he told this correspondent.
After two ministers from the ruling camp including one independent had shifted sides to the opposition camp, de Souza had staked his claim to form the government. The letter was signed by 21 members, including the MGP and the BJP, besides de Souza’s Goa Rajiv Congress.
Faleiro government had lasted for 75 days with the support of 21 members in the 40-member House.
However, it is still doubtful whether de Souza would be able to garner support of 21 members once again as the four-member BJP, it is learnt, has made a volte face and are not ready to support de Souza to form the government.
The party would support the new coalition government only if de Souza then immediately goes for dissolution, disclose sources in the BJP. Sources close to de Souza however still claim that they could muster majority support even without the BJP, probably by splitting more Congressmen.
De Souza’s coalition gets reduced to 17 if the BJP stays out, with six of Dr Willy’s GRC, eight of the MGP, two independents and one Congressman who had split recently. However, to stake the claim, de Souza needs at least four more legislators in his favour, which would mean giving further scope for horsetrading.
If not, then the governor will have no other option than sending report to the union home ministry to recommend President’s rule in the state, while going for premature dissolution of the most disgusting Goa Assembly, which has shown four governments in last seven months.
No BJP leader was however available to confirm their stand in the changed situation. The picture is expected to be clear by evening.
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