Dissenting dissidents - the men and woman who ruled Goa Panaji, July 30: Goa is known for its political instability with legislators resigning from their seats and re-contesting to circumvent anti-defection laws. Below is a list of chief ministers who have taken over in Goa since the former Portuguese colony had its first elections in late 1963.
* Dayanand Bandodkar, prominent mine-owner and initially not elected to the legislature, but took over as chief minister after the December 1963 elections. He led the pro-Marathi Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) whose initial agenda was merger with Maharashtra. His regime was beset by one round of defections, which Bandodkar beat back by winning over some opposition legislators. * Bandodkar's daughter Shashikala Kakodkar assumed office on her father's death in 1973, as leader of the MGP. She was a junior minister then but ruled till being topped by defections in 1979. * Pratapsing Rane, from the prominent landlord family of the Ranes of Sattari (north-eastern Goa) took over Jan 16, 1980 and ruled till March 27, 1990. Rane stayed in power throughout the 1980s, but he too was challenged repeatedly by dissidents within the Congress till his government was toppled in 1990. He was elected on a Congress (U) ticket, but the ruling party changed en bloc to be part of the Congress (I) in 1980. * Churchill Alemao, who built his reputation as a tough leader of the Konkani agitation and was later arrested under anti-smuggling laws by a Congress government, ruled for 17 days from March 27 April 14, 1990. This was a step meant to smoothen the transition of rebel speaker Luis Proto Barbosa into the chief ministership. Alemao, like Barbosa, was part of the Progressive Democratic Front government, comprising Congress rebels and the then still-dominant MGP. * Barbosa, a medico-politician, took over in Goa's first Hindu-Catholic rainbow non-Congress government. Politics had so far been largely communally polarised, so this was an unusual step taken then. Congress being out of power in New Delhi also emboldened rebels here to switch loyalties. * In December 1990, Barbosa was ousted from power by his own coalition allies. The assembly was kept in 'suspended animation' till MGP rebel Ravi Naik and a group of others switched sides, and took over power with a Congress-dominated government. Naik was made chief minister (Jan 25, 1991 to May 18, 1993) but faced repeated challenges from his No.2, Wilfred de Souza, who claimed that Naik had promised to step down before Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who had by then been assassinated. * Wilfred De Souza (May 18, 1993 to April 2, 1994) replaced Naik as the next Congress chief minister. * In the most shocking move, Naik was abruptly sworn-in by then governor Bhanu Prakash Singh, who based his decision on a high court judgement rather than any political shift. Naik was chief minister from just April 2 to April 8, 1994. In the aftermath, Governor Singh was sacked by New Delhi and recalled. * Wilfred de Souza was restored as chief minister from April 8, 1994 and continued in the post till Dec 16, 1994. Pratapsing Rane was named the next chief minister and stayed in office from Dec 16, 1994 to July 29, 1998. * Prior to the next elections, Wilfred de Souza took over and ruled from July 30, 1998 to Nov 26, 1998. He was replaced as chief minister by Luizinho Faleiro, following a Congress party decision. * Following a stint of president's rule, Faleiro took over as chief minister from June 9 to Nov 24, 1999. * Egged on by the then ruling BJP at the centre, Francisco Sardinha quit the Congress and took over as chief minister of a BJP-dominated government. He ruled for a year from late-1999. He was ousted in late 2000, when on a tour of Australia, and replaced by BJP leader Manohar Parrikar, who ruled till early 2005. * Following defections, the BJP was ousted and Pratapsing Rane took over as chief minister in 2005, amidst bitter battles and disqualification games by both sides in the assembly. * After the June 8 elections this year, former BJP No.2-turned-Congressman Digambar Kamat took over as chief minister and ruled undisturbed for less than 50 days, till the BJP aligned with disgruntled Congresswoman Victoria Fernandes and smaller political parties in an effort to topple his government. * July 30, 2007: Digambar Kamat survived vote of confidence in the Goa assembly.
