Twenty-one newly elected Goa MLAs, led by Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, called on Governor Mridula Sinha at the Raj Bhavan at 7.30 p.m. on Sunday.
The BJP has won 13 seats and the Congress 17 in the 40-member Assembly.
Mr. Parrikar submitted evidence of support of 13 BJP MLAs, three each of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and two independent MLAs.
The eights non BJP MLAs submitted separate signed letters saying that they had decided to support the BJP, provided it formed a government under the leadership of Mr. Parrikar.
Earlier in the day, the 13 BJP MLAs sent a resolution to party president Amit Shah, saying they want Mr. Parrikar to head the new government.
Even as the BJP delegation was in the Raj Bhavan, the newly elected Congress MLAs and the party’s top leadership, including AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh, were in a city hotel, deliberating for hours the finalisation of the party’s legislature party leader.
GFP president Prabhakar Timble, who earlier told The Hindu that the decision to join the Ministry was taken by the leader of party’s legislature wing, Vijay Sardesai, without his knowledge, resigned, saying he did not desire to embarrass anybody by recording reasons for the sudden decision.
In a letter submitted to the Governor, BJP State president Vinay Tendulkar said the newly elected BJP legislature party met on Sunday morning at the BJP headquarters and by a unanimous resolution, authorised and requested the party leadership to nominate a leader.
The letter said the party had received a letter of support from the MGP and others. The national president of the BJP communicated the decision naming Mr. Parrikar as leader of the legislature party. The BJP claimed the support of NCP MLA from Benaulim, Churchill Alemao, stating that his letter of support would be sent to the Governor soon.
