Goa: With Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar hospitalised, Goa's main opposition Congress party submitted a memorandum to Governor Mridula Sinha Monday, staking claim to form an alternate government.
Parrikar, 62, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, is currently admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.
The Congress, which has 16 members in the 40-member state assembly, submitted a memorandum to the governor, urging her not to dissolve the assembly and instead invite the party to form the government, leader of opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said.
The state is being ruled by the BJP-led Alliance. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, its allies Goa Forward Party and MGP have three each. Three Independents and an MLA from Nationalist Congress Party also support the BJP.
All the 16 Congress MLAs, led by Kavlekar, went to the Raj Bhavan but could not meet the governor as she is out of the state.
"The party urged the governor not to consider dissolution of the state legislative assembly, which is a possibility considering internal fighting in the ruling alliance and illness of Parrikar," Kavlekar told PTI.
He said the Congress has support of legislators from other parties and can form the government, if given a chance by governor. "We will prove our majority on the floor of the House," he said.
Earlier, BJP leader Ram Lal said the Goa government is stable and no demand has been made for a change in the leadership.
He stated this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members.
BJP allies seek solution
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGF) and Goa Forward Party (GFP), allies of the ruling BJP in Goa, on Monday said they were awaiting a solution to the political situation arising out of the indisposition of Parrikar.
MGP chief Deepak Dhavalikar said a "common solution", in sync with "what the allies have been requesting", should come from the BJP as it was the single largest party in ruling alliance.
GFP president Vijai Sardesai also said that his party was waiting for a solution, which is permanent rather than "ad hoc".
"We are waiting for the future course of action as now all the pros and cons of the situation are known well to the BJP national leadership," Sardesai, who is also state agriculture minister, said.
He appreciated BJP national president Amit Shah for promptly deputing central observers to listen to allies in connection with the political situation.
The three central observers of the BJP -- Ram Lal, B L Santhosh and Vinay Puranik -- left for Delhi Monday after holding several rounds of talks in the coastal state with partymen and alliance partners.
They will submit a report on the political scene in Goa to Shah, party functionaries said.
Sardesai said his party was with Parrikar and "we are not talking to anyone, neither is anybody talking to us".
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