The Manohar Parrikar-led coalition Government in Goa comfortably passed the floor test on Thursday winning with a comfortable margin of 22-16 votes, even as the principal Opposition party, Congress had to face huge embarrassment as one of its MlAs went ‘missing’ and subsequently resigned from the party and the Assembly.
The Congress, however, claimed that the coalition Government was an “illegitimate” one, founded on “fraudulently” acquired MlAs, in addition to the 13 BJP legislators.
The one-day Assembly session called on Thursday, specifically for the trust vote lasted for a few minutes after Chief Minister Parrikar moved a one-line motion seeking the confidence of the House.
Pro-tem Speaker Sidharth Kunkolienkar, who was appointed to the position from a pool of 17 BJP MlAs, asked the legislators to vote, even as former Speaker and Congress MlA Pratapsingh Rane wanted to raise a point of order, which was disallowed.
The BJP won the motion by 22-16 with the additional support of lone Nationalist Congress Party MlA Churchill Alemao, who did not back the Congress.
With the pro-tem Speaker and Parrikar, who continues to be a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, not casting their votes and Congress MlA Vishwajit Rane going ‘missing’ the BJP won the exercise comfortably.
“We have busted the theory of the Congress that they have the numbers. We have shown it on the floor of the House now,” Parrikar told reporters subsequently.
The Chief Minister also said that portfolios would be allocated to his nine-member (excluding Parrikar) Cabinet by Saturday.
The Congress meanwhile cried foul, claiming the Government was illegitimate. “How can we accept this Government which has been formed by horse-tradingIJ The Speaker did not even allow us to raise a point of order. What was the hurry,” Congress legislative Party leader Chandrakant Kavlekar told reporters.
Asked about the disappearance of Rane, who subsequently resigned from the Congress as well as his legislatorship, Kavlekar said, that efforts were made to trace Rane during the trust vote, but they had failed.
“We looked for him everywhere. He could not be found. We will seek reasons from him about his absence. Action will follow after we listen to him,” Kavlekar said.
Rane, who spoke to reporters after the Assembly session, said that the slow pace with which the Congress reacted, after being elected as the single largest party, resulted in the loss of an opportunity to form the Government.
“I have quit the party in disgust. My constituents have asked me to quit. I will contest my Valpoi Assembly seat again,” he said.