The Goa Forward party(GFP), an alliance partner of the BJP-led coalition government on Thursday warned the BJP that it will rethink on its support to the government in Goa if it does not resolve the mining crisis in the state at the earliest.
“If the BJP does not resume mining in Goa at the earliest, they will have trouble in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. I request them to resolve this crisis at the earliest. If they do not do it, we will rethink support to BJP in Lok Sabha election,” said president of GFP and Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai here at a press conference.
The three-MLA strong regional outfit in the 40 members in the Goa legislative assembly is also a part of the National Democratic Alliance.
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Mr. Sardesai said that he would be forced to step out of the alliance if the mining crisis in Goa is not resolved.
“One would have thought that after the debacle in Karnataka, the BJP would have acted quickly to solve the mining issue, but no steps are being taken towards that end, despite the fact that the BJP is in power in Goa and at the Centre,” lamented Mr. Sardesai and reiterated demand that the Central Government should issue an ordinance to resume mining in Goa.
The BJP currently has 14 MLAs in the 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly and is leading the government with the help of three MLAs each from GFP, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and independents.
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Mr. Sardesai’s reference was to the prevailing mining ban in the State, which happened following the February 2018 order of the Supreme Court. The order scrapped the second renewal of 88 iron ore mining leases and directed the state government to re-issue the mining leases. Mining was first banned in 2012 following a series of bans by the State and the Centre, and the subsequent ban by the Supreme Court following the revelation of a ₹35,000 crore illegal mining scam unearthed by a judicial commission.