Cong MLAs call on Goa governor, fails to get any assurance

The Goa Congress today took all its newly-elected 17 MLAs to the Raj Bhavan and met state Governor Mridula Sinha to seek an opportunity to prove majority in the assembly but could not get any assurance from her.

The MLAs led by Congress Legislature Party leader Chandrakant Kavlekar held talks with Sinha for half-an-hour arguing that being the single-largest party, the Congress should have been called first to form the government in Goa.

"We requested the governor that the Congress be given an opportunity to form the government. Allowing Parrikar to be sworn in is against the Constitution. We have majority on our side," Goa Congress Chief Luizinho Faleiro told reporters outside Raj Bhavan.
 

"The governor told us that she would take a decision as per her wisdom," he said.

"The governor does not have the right to decide who has the majority thru a headcount of legislators. The headcount and strength should be proved only on the floor of the House. The Congress being the single largest party should have been invited first to form the government," Faleiro said.

Asked if the Congress has garner the support of at least 21 MLAs in the 40-member House, Faleiro refused to elaborate and said, "The strength would be shown on the floor of the House."

The Congress had last night made a representation to the governor asking her to invite the party to form the government in the coastal state.

The governor has invited the BJP-led alliance to form the government and the swearing-in is scheduled this evening.

In response to a Congress' petition against appointment of Manohar Parrikar as state chief minister, the apex court earlier today refused to stay his swearing-in as CM and directed that the assembly session be convened at 11 AM on March 16.

Earlier during the day, AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh, after chairing a meeting of the party MLAs, had alleged that the governor did not invite the Congress to form the government despite having been given a letter on March 12 seeking an opportunity for it.