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Goa: Congress, NCP emissaries hold talks

Prakash Kamat

Pawar warns rebel MLAs of extreme action

Talks in Delhi today
Goa Assembly abruptly prorogued

PANAJI: The central emissaries of the ruling Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, who rushed here on Thursday, held parleys with the defiant NCP legislators and other coalition members till late in the evening to salvage the seven-month-old Digambar Kamat government.

The talks between the Congress and the NCP were “inconclusive” and would continue in New Delhi on Friday, said NCP leader and Civil Avian Minister Praful Patel.

The Congress-led government was reduced to a minority in the 40-member Assembly on Wednesday night, after the two NCP members and an Independent MLA resigned from the Ministry and withdrew support. Earlier in the day, the Assembly session was abruptly adjourned to avert a possible defeat for the government on the floor of the House.

Setting the tone for the salvage operation, NCP president Sharad Pawar issued a stern warning of “extreme action” against the rebel MLAs.

Mr. Patel, who arrived here along with NCP observer for Goa D.P. Tripathy, held discussions with the MLAs amid speculation that the State unit, in a tie-up with all non-BJP groups including Independents, proposed the formation of an alternative government with Congress support. If this effort failed, they would seek BJP support.

In the Congress camp, B. K. Hari Prasad, Siddarth Patel and Ms. Mabel Rebello, who rushed to Goa, held talks with partymen.

Sources in the NCP said that while the disgruntled MLAs had not demanded a change in the leadership of the coalition government, they wanted the Chief Minister to function more effectively. There were also demands for divesting Dayanand Narvekar, whose style of functioning reportedly antagonised many members, of the Finance portfolio, and for berths for at least two from the supporting groups.

By evening, there were signs of an end to the impasse with the NCP legislature party leader Jose Philip D’Souza; Micky Pacheco, also of the NCP; and Independent MLA Vishwajit Rane, son of Speaker Pratapsingh Rane, toning down their stand after deliberations with Mr. Patel. The three, who had resigned as Ministers, said they were confident that their grievances over the functioning of the government could be redressed through talks.

Earlier as the crisis unfolded, Congress MLAs Shyam Satardekar and Mr. Gurudas Gawas made common cause with the rebel group, whose number swelled to nine. One of the Congress MLAs threatened to resign in a bid to reduce the party’s strength.

However, the Congress claimed the situation was under control.

After talking to the MLAs of the NCP and non-Congress groups, followed by a round of deliberations with the Chief Minister in a city hotel, Mr. Praful Patel said he was hopeful that the crisis would be resolved. He said that the NCP and other party MLAs had several grievances over the functioning of the government. There was a feeling that due importance was not being given to non-Congress MLAs. Some protested that their constituencies were neglected.

“I understand the issues and dialogue is on, but a solution cannot be found right now,” said Mr. Patel. “We have been talking to the Congress.” The NCP leader is understood to have told the Chief Minister to take all MLAs along with him.

Earlier in the day, as part of the damage control exercise, the Assembly was abruptly prorogued on Thursday without passing the Appropriation bill, inviting strong protests from the BJP. Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar accused Governor S. C. Jamir of committing “constitutional impropriety to salvage the tottering government” and demanded his immediate recall.

The Assembly was prorogued by the Governor following the Cabinet’s recommendation. The move came hours before the Assembly was to meet to take up the Appropriation Bill.

Before the withdrawal of support by some members on Wednesday, the ruling coalition had 23 members — Congress (16), NCP (3), Save Goa Front (2) and Independents (1) and the United Goans Democratic Party’s unattached legislator Atanasio Monserrate. The Opposition comprised 14 of the BJP, two of the MGP and one Independent.

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