Session will test govt survival skills

PANAJI: The Goa assembly session slated from August 18 will test the 14-month-old alliance government led by the Congress’ Digambar Kamat, as dissidence in the Congress persists and the resignation of some MLAs to force instability is not ruled out. Ally NCP, showing signs of anger, is likely to support such a move.

Indications are strong that the Congress Legislative Party, beset with problems could see the resignations of four MLAs. Should this happen, it would reduce the strength of the House to 35, which already stands at 39 following the death of Congress legislator from Pale Gurudas Gavas.

His death has also brought down the Congress strength in the House to 17, but in a reduced House of 35, the effective voting strength of the Congress will be 12, as the speaker does not vote. It would no longer be the single largest party and could lead the alliance partners NCP and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party to rethink their support.

The induction of unatttached legislator Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate into the cabinet may not help the Congress, as the numbers would be clearly stacked against the party if the exodus of MLAs is not stopped.

There also exists resentment that the chief minister is holding ten important portfolios out of a total 35.
“There is no logic behind the allotting of the education portfolio to Monserrate, it should remain with a Congress minister,” commented a Congress leader.

In New Delhi, the Congress high command is perturbed by the constant bickering in the CLP and the instability of the government, especially over the fact that an observer is constantly required to douse the fires in the state, which exposes the weakness of the state leadership.

Already an anti establishment and anti development mood prevails in the state and a flight of capital investment is the next scary scenario. The inability of the government to take action against dissidents has made captains of industry and business lobbies conclude that a change in dispensation would be the best way out in the present scenario.

"Goa is going to face financial crunch as revenue will be down and unemployment galloping because of the 'soft' government attitude," commented a senior official of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday.
Speaker Pratapsingh Rane continues to save the government, though the Congress high command is not succumbing to the demand for change of leadership in the CLP.

The absence of former finance minister Dayanand Narvekar from the front treasury benches could send the government on the back foot as not all ministers are in a position to defend the government from a well orchestrated onslaught fired from the opposition benches led by BJP’s Manohar Parrikar.

Source : Times Of India