President's rule in Goa PANAJI: The Centre has recommended President's rule in Goa, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said today.
The decision was taken at a hurriedly-called meeting of the Union Cabinet, hours after Goa Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane won a controversial vote of confidence. Patil said that the Centre was not happy with what has happened in the Goa Assembly today and has taken suo-motu action without waiting for the Governor's report. "What has happened in the Assembly today is not acceptable to us. It is not proper to have one member not to vote. This is exactly what has been done by the previous (BJP) government," he said. Earlier, amidst high drama, the Pratapsinh Rane government in Goa won the vote of confidence in the assembly after pro tem Speaker Fransisco Saldinha cast the deciding vote. The BJP and Congress were tied at 16 votes in the assembly after Saldinha restrained UGDP MLA Mathany Saldanha from voting. When the voting took place both the Congress and the BJP got 16 votes each. But the casting vote by the pro tem speaker gave the Congress the majority. In the last week, there have been hectic political manoeuvres by both sides with the Congress and the BJP trying to muster up support to form the government. Meanwhile, the Goa BJP MLAs demanded dismissal of the Rane gov- ernment. They claimed that the pro tem speaker had no jurisdiction to disqualify UGDP MLA Mathany Saldanha who was supporting the BJP. "I can only say that it is wrong to say that Pratapsinh Rane has the majority in Goa. Rane's pro tem speaker without citing any rule or constitution did not allow one of the MLAs supporting the BJP to vote. This is similar to booth capturing," a disappointed senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan said. Earlier, the BJP alleged that the pro tem Speaker, who's a Con- gress leader, will 'illegally' disqualify UGDP MLA Saldanha. BJP protests: An angry BJP leader, Manohar Parrikar, who was ousted on February 2 after his government was reduced to minority following resignations and disqualification of MLAs from the assembly termed the pro-tem speaker's actions as a "big sham." "The present Speaker does not have the jurisdiction to disqualify or debar any member from voting," Parrikar said. Angry BJP work- ers protested at the Raj Bhavan against outcome of the vote of confidence and demanded immediate dismissal of the Rane govern- ment. Speaker defends move: Rane said the house would be convened within 15 days to elect a new Speaker. Defending his actions the pro-tem Speaker said he had restrained Saldanha from voting as the petitioner had asked for ad-interim relief. Citing several Supreme Court judgments, the petitioner had prayed that a politi- cal party, and not necessarily the legislative party, can issue whips to its members, he said. Saldanha, the lone UGDP MLA, had ignored his party's whip and supported Parrikar. Rane wins trust vote Earlier, amid high drama, Goa Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane today won a vote of confidence in the assembly with the help of a casting vote by pro-tem Speaker who earlier restrained an opposi- tion member from taking part in the proceedings, setting off strong protests from BJP. As soon as the House convened, pro-tem Speaker Francisco Sardinha debarred UGDP MLA Mathany Saldanha from voting on the basis of a disqualification petition filed by Congress MLA Jitendra Desh- prabhu. (Central Chronicle) - Forwarded by www.goa-world.com
