Faleiro unable to win trust vote today
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 08 February 1999 11:29 IST
It is crystal clear by now that chief minister Luizinho Faleiro cannot win the confidence vote slated to be held at 5 pm today as all his efforts to win over a group of legislators from the opposition camp have born no fruits.
The Congress camp is however now planning various strategies to create a constitutional crisis so that Dr Wilfred de Souza cannot form the government while governor J F R Jacob would be compelled to impose President’s rule in the state by dissolving the Assembly.
The 68-day government led by Faleiro, having majority of only one in the 40-member House, was thrown into minority with two of his ministers resigning and joining de Souza’s coalition group.
Dr Willy had then staked claim with the support of 21 MLAs including these two new rebels, besides six of his Goa Rajiv Congress, eight of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party, four of the Bharatiya Janata Party and one independent.
As Deu Mandrekar, one of the rebels, belongs to the Congress party while John Manuel Vaz, another rebel is an independent, speaker Tomazinho Cardoz plans to disqualify the former today morning, based on a petition which points out at his disassociation with the Congress by signing a letter supporting de Souza and not attending the CLP meeting two days ago.
De Souza however argues that Mandrekar could be disqualified only if he defies whip on the floor of the House or abstains from voting without giving justifiable reason within 14 days, as per the provisions of the anti-defection act.
The ailing 76-year old Mandrekar has already conveyed to the speaker that he cannot appear before him for the hearing today morning and also may not attend the session in the evening. Even without his presence, Dr Willy however continues having majority of 20 against 18 of the Congress camp, besides the speaker.
Though Faleiro claims that de Souza cannot form the government as 20 would not be a simple majority after Mandrekar is disqualified, he is skilfully avoiding a reply to the fact that the strength of the House would be reduced to 39 once he is disqualified, where 20 is a majority.
Probably knowing this, Faleiro is now planning either to submit resignations of all the 18 Congress MLAs or persuading the speaker, a Congressman, to resign after disqualifying Mandrekar, the former deputy speaker, just before the session begins.
But Faleiro’s party colleagues learnt to have not responded positively to his appeal for en mass resignations as some of his more colleagues are reportedly planning to shift over to de Souza camp, supporting his government.
The only option thus which could create constitutional crisis is the speaker’s resignation as the deputy speaker’s post, vacated by Mandrekar two months ago, is yet to be filled. It would mean that the House would have no speaker to chair the session in the evening.
Though it is not known what the governor would do if the speaker resigns at last minute, the Congress camp hopes that Raj Bhavan may go ahead with dissolution while sending report to the union home ministry to recommend President’s rule in the state.
But the opposition camp refutes this argument, stating that the governor could well appoint the seniormost member (former Congress chief minister Pratapsing Rane) as the speaker pro-tem and carry out the House proceedings or dismiss the Faleiro government forthwith.
But inviting de Souza to form the government still remains a question mark as the four-member BJP is yet to decide whether to support the coalition government, if de Souza does not agree to recommend dissolution of the House.
That would mean that no party is in a position to form the government, which could be a fit case to impose President’s rule in the state. The BJP has decided to chalk out its strategy only after today’s session is held.
Meanwhile, one consumer activist is also filing a writ petition in the high court, demanding that the governor be restrained from forming any government in the state and recommend dissolution of the house.
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