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Goa BJP government reduced to a minority FROM PAMELA D'MELLO Panaji, Jan 29: Juggling MLAs in and out of government has snowballed into a political crisis for the Manohar Parrikar government who was reduced to a minority on Saturday. Four BJP MLAs resigned from their assembly seats, while two coalition ministers resigned from cabinet,withdrawing support to the BJP led government. The Congress has staked its claim to form a government, with 19 MLAs in the reduced house of 36, including support from the NCP, two regional parties and an independent. The BJP has 17 MLAs, in the fluid numbers game that is unfolding here. No decision came from Governor S C Jamir's office which held meetings with opposition claimants and state officials through the day. Mr Jamir flew back from Kolkata via Mumbai this morning as political events escalated with a ministers demotion and resignation late Thursday night. Addressing a press conference this afternoon, Chief Minister Parrikar maintained he would prove his majority on the floor of the house and accused the Governor of playing a partisan role. "A majority is decided only on the floor of the House and not on the lawns of the Raj Bhavan", a defiant Mr Parrikar said. Both camps have expectedly huddled their MLAs together, the Congress in a five star seaside resort outside Panaji, while the BJP camp were camped in the capital. Mr Parrikar's first serious challenge to his four and a half years in office, came when he demoted financier-politician Atanasio Monserrate, who resigned on Friday morning. Working on strategies chalked out over Friday, Mr Monserrate and three neo-BJP MLAs, including Francisco Micky Pacheco -- who joined the BJP only on Thursday -- Isidore Fernandes and transport minister Pandurang Madkaikar gave in their resignations to the Speakers office. All four BJP MLAs have resigned their assembly seats, to avoid disqualification under amended Anti Defection Laws, and are expected to seek re-election. Simulataneously, PWD minister Ramakrishna Dhavlikar and Water Resources minister Philip Neri Rodrigues, joined a Congress led delegation to Raj Bhavan, and submitted their resignations as ministers. Officer bearers of the regional MGP and UGDP parties have given letters of support to the Congress- NCP combine. Congress general secretary in charge of Goa affairs Ms Margaret Alva accompanied the delegation to the Raj Bhavan and flew back for consultations with the party high command in New Delhi. Ms Alva is expected to return tommorrow, even as CLP members left it to 10 Janpath to decide the leadership issue. Mr Parrikar's fate hinges to some extent on the UGDP tourism minister Mathany Saldanha who is currently in Spain to attend a tourism mart. The UGDP has pledged support to the Congress but Mr Parrikar said he enjoyed the support of Mr Saldanha, irrespective of his party stand. With four members resigning, the house strength stands at 36, with the Congress and allies claiming a total of 18, the BJP at 17 and Mr Saldanha still out of the country. In a crucial floor test, political watchers calculate the Congress has an edge of one, accounting for the jubiliation in their camp. The irony of the political farce being enacted here in Goa's theatre of the political absurb has not however been lost on some. BJP MLA Isidore Fernandes had in August 2004 resigned from the Congress and won a by-election on a BJP ticket a month later -- only to repeat the resignation drama today. Francisco Pacheco had on Thursdary merged his one man outfit with the BJP, and said it was "tit for tat" that he was walking out of the assembly precipitating a crisis for Mr Parrikar on Saturday. Assembly polls in May 2002 had given the BJP 17 to the Congress 16, while two regional parties the NCP and an independent had backed the BJP over the past two and a half years. Poaching MLAs from his coalition partners and shuffling support soured relations in the coalition, over time. (ends)