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Ball in Goa governor's court

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

It is now up to the governor of Goa to decide the fate of the Pratapsingh Rane-led Congress government.

In deference to his directive, the confidence motion to prove Rane's majority was taken up in the House yesterday, but amidst a great deal of confusion. There were two separate sittings of the House, with presiding officers belonging to both groups taking decisions contrary to each other.

While Speaker Thomazinho Cardoz claims Rane has survived the motion, Deputy Speaker Deu Mandrekar, belonging to the rebel group, says otherwise. He even claims to have passed a no-confidence motion against the speaker.

Governor retired Lt General J F R Jacob later told journalists that he is "examining all the options" to ensure that the finance bill would be passed by July 30, while he was awaiting the report from the assembly before taking further action.

There was pandemonium in the House after the MLAs battled with each other, the legislature staff, security guards and the policemen brought in to whisk away 10 members of the Congress splinter group led by Dr Wilfred de Souza.

Acting upon the disqualification petition filed against the splinter group on Monday, Cardoz had passed an interim order earlier, restraining them from entering the House. The governor had directed him to take up the confidence motion by 3.30 pm. However, he was unable to quote any section for the order.

"Everything cannot be decided by sections of the law," he said.

Realising that the speaker intended to take up the confidence motion after pushing out the splinter group, other MLAs did not allow Cardoz to read out the order, insisting that the motion be taken up as per the governor's directives. The splinter group refused to move out of the House, even when the police was brought in.

Speaker Cardoz declared amidst pandemonium that Rane had won the confidence vote by 16 against 13. He did not count votes of the 10 members of the splinter group.

Since nothing could be heard when Cardoz moved into his chamber, supposedly after adjourning the House, Mandrekar took over the reins of the proceedings and once again passed the confidence vote to announce Rane's defeat, while ruling benches had left the House. They also passed the pending no-confidence motion against the speaker.

The political stalemate thus still continues with Rane now claiming to have been enjoying majority in the House while Dr de Souza demanding his resignation. The Opposition has once again demanded that the governor should immediately dismiss the "illegal" government.

Meanwhile, Goa Congress chief Shantaram Naik has criticised the governor's action of sending the notice of a confidence vote to Rane only 90 minutes in advance as absurd and unconstitutional.

"It is a fit case for recalling the governor," he says. Governor Jacob, however, claims to have acted within the parameters of the Constitution, dismissing these allegations.

Meanwhile, two Congress emissaries -- K Karunakaran and R L Bhatia -- have been camping at a hotel since Tuesday morning, but have failed to resolve the impasse. The rebels asked the veterans to come with Rane's resignation letter before holding any discussion.

EARLIER REPORT:
Chaos in Goa assembly

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