Goa govt wins trust vote, dismissed

The Manohar Parrikar government in Goa, which won a vote of confidence in the Assembly today amidst pandemonium, was dismissed by Governor SC Jamir, Raj Bhawan sources said.

The dismissal of the two-and-half-year-old BJP government came shortly after the chief minister won a controversial vote of confidence amidst pandemonium in the assembly when the Speaker had independent MLA Philipe Neri Rodriguez removed from the House.

Speaker Vishwas Satarkar declared that the one-line motion moved by the chief minister reposing confidence in his council of ministers was carried after BJP members raised their hands in support while the entire Congress-led Opposition was in the well protesting the eviction of Rodriguez.

Earlier, tThe Speaker put the chief minister's one-line motion seeking the confidence of the House in his council of ministers to vote after independent legislator Dilip Neri Rodriguez was physically removed.

He asked the MLAs supporting the motion to raise their hands to which the BJP legislators numbering 16 and one UGDP legislator responded with an "aye".

Satisfied that the ruling side had the majority, Satarkar announced that the motion was carried amidst protests from the Opposition Congress benches.

Parrikar later claimed victory while the Congress-led Opposition rushed to the raj bhawan to petition Governor SC Jamir for immediate dismissal of the government accusing the Speaker of "acting like a stooge" of the government.

The Opposition delegation took Rodriguez with it to the governor claiming he had been badly injured in the melee in the Assembly.

Earlier, high drama preceded the start of the special session, convened on the governor's directive to the chief minister to prove his majority in the House after his government was reduced to a minority following convulsions in the ruling alliance.

The Speaker rejected the demand of the counsel for Rodriguez for more time to give his comments on the disqualification petition filed by the BJP against him on the ground that he had violated the anti-defection law.

The BJP claimed that he had attracted provisions of the law by aligning with the Opposition front while he had joined the party.

The debate on the chief minister's motion began with leader of the opposition alliance Pratapsinh Rane mounting an attack on the government saying it had been reduced to a minority and should not be allowed to remain in power.

He said the government had "failed" on all fronts and that unemployment was growing.

After two hours of debate, there was a break and when the House reconvened the Speaker asked Rodriguez to withdraw from the House under a rule that related to disorderly behaviour.