Parrikar stakes claims to form govt in Goa

panaji — In a swift move, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, led by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, met Goa Governor Mridula Sinha on Sunday and staked claim to forming a new government in the coastal state.

Even as Parrikar knocked on the gates of Raj Bhavan, newlyelected Congress MLAs as well as senior central leaders, including General Secretary Digvijaya Singh, were holed up in a city hotel, deliberating for hours over finalisation of the party’s legislative party leader.

The BJP contingent of 13 MLAs was led by Parrikar and was accompanied by three legislators each of the Goa Forward party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and two Independent legislators, which takes the tally of BJPaligned legislators to 21.

The BJP has also claimed the support of Nationalist Congress Party MLA from Benaulim Churchill Alemao, stating that his letter of support would be also be sent to the governor soon.

The move came after newlyelected BJP legislators passed a resolution demanding that Parrikar return as CM. Parrikar, Gadkari and caretaker Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar were also present.

Parrikar, who is expected to resign as Defence Minister before he is sworn in as Chief Minister, said that although the BJP could not get the required mandate, the target of 21 could be reached with support from non-Congress MLAs. “As far as the mandate of the people (is concerned), we fell short of majority, but with this support, we could reach the figure of 21,” said Parrikar, a former Goa chief minister, who was elevated to the Defence Ministry in 2014. —

We met the governor and we are expecting invitation from her. Once invitation is received, we will consult colleagues and finalise date for swearing in Manohar Parrikar