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Cabinet recommends President's rule in Goa

The Union Cabinet has recommended President's rule in Goa.

The Cabinet also recommended dissolution of the state assembly and holding of assembly elections.

Home Minister L K Advani told reporters after a 90-minute meeting of the Cabinet that the decision is being conveyed to the President tonight itself.

The home minister said the Cabinet had considered the developments in Goa during the past few days and the governor's report before taking its decision.

Earlier, Goa governor Lt Gen (retd) J F R Jacob sent a detailed report about the latest political developments in the state caused by Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro's resignation before seeking a vote of confidence in the state assembly.

In his report the governor is understood to have favoured imposition of central rule and dissolution of the House to prevent horse trading and to provide a stable political set up after fresh elections.

An official spokesman in Panjim confirmed this morning that the governor had sent a report regarding the political developments in the state late last night to the President.

Highly reliable sources at Raj Bhavan told Rediff On The NeT that a report has also been sent to the Union home ministry, urging the central government to take a decision on the immediate dissolution of the House and imposition of President's rule under Article 356.

Former Union law minister Ramakant Khalap, who met the governor on Tuesday morning along with coalition leader Dr Wilfred de Souza and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party president Surendra Sirsat, said dissolution and President's rule were imminent.

"As no political party is in a position to form the government and since all the political parties have demanded dissolution, it is just a formality now to take a decision in this regard," Khalap said.

Sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party revealed that Prime Minister A B Vajpayee was consulted before he left on his foreign tour regarding the possibility of President's rule.

Meanwhile, Dr de Souza has alleged that the BJP backstabbed the coalition by withdrawing its support to his claim to form a government at the last minute. He had earlier staked his claim with the support of 21 legislators in the 40-member House, including the MGP and the BJP, besides his Goa Rajiv Congress.

Refuting this, BJP spokesperson Manohar Parrikar, however, said his party would not have changed its stand if Dr de Souza had given them a firm assurance to recommend dissolution of the House immediately after forming the government.

On the contrary, Parrikar alleged that Dr de Souza was planning to rejoin the Congress party by merging his GRC with it, after forming the government. "We insisted on a firm assurance because of this, which de Souza kept on avoiding despite several requests," the BJP leader claimed.

Goa, it appears, could now face an assembly election by May, ahead of the actual schedule of November.

UNI, Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

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