Parrikar leaves defence post, to take oath as Goa CM today
new delhi — Over two years after he quit as Chief Minister of Goa to become the nation’s Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar is set to take over the coastal state’s mantle again on Tuesday as the head of a BJP-led government.
The decks were cleared for Parrikar to take oath as Goa Chief Minister with President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday accepting his resignation as Defence Minister and assigning additional charge of the ministry to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
“The President has accepted Manohar Parrikar’s resignation from the council of ministers with immediate effect under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution,” a President Office statement said.
Earlier in the day, Parrikar resigned to head a new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Goa. Parrikar has been Chief Minister of Goa twice before — from October 2000 to February 2005 and from March 2012 to November 8, 2014, when he was appointed the Defence Minister of India.
On Sunday, he was appointed by the BJP to head the new government. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha has asked Parrikar to prove majority on the floor of the Goa Legislative Assembly 15 days after taking oath.
He has claimed the support of 21 lawmakers in the 40-member Goa assembly. The BJP with 13 MLAs is supported by three legislators each of the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and two independent legislators.
Parrikar sent a faxed letter of resignation to the Prime Minister’s Office ahead of the oath taking ceremony, set for Tuesday at 5pm at Raj Bhavan in Goa.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President Amit Shah would be present at the swearingin ceremony.
Saturday’s election results showed the Bharatiya Janata Party won just 13 seats in Goa, putting it in second place behind the opposition Congress Party on 17, and leaving it eight short of the majority needed to control the 40-strong lower house. But two regional parties, which have three members each, and two indepenlucknow
I feel let down at the functioning of the party leaders who could not take a decision at the right time Vishwajit Rane, Congress MLA
dent legislators sided with the BJP to give it the required 21 seats.
The President, as advised by the prime minister, has also directed that Arun Jaitley shall be assigned the charge of the Defence Ministry in addition to his existing portfolios, the statement said.
Meanwhile, a group of Congress legislators in Goa were “upset” and blamed the party’s top leadership for the failure to form the government in the coastal state despite emerging as the single largest party in the assembly polls.
“I am very upset with the way our party leaders handled the situation after the (Goa Assembly poll) results, which gave us the first right — as the single largest party — to
People had given us (Congress) the mandate but party leaders failed to respect it. It is entirely their fault Jeniffer Monserratte, Cong MLA
form the government. I feel let down at the functioning of the party leaders who could not take a decision at the right time,” Vishwajit Rane, who won from the Valpoi constituency, said. He said that “gross mismanagement” by party leaders and the “delay” in choosing the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader hurt them.
The Congress won 17 seats in Goa, only four short of the magic figure to form the government. Soon after the results threw up a hung assembly, Independent candidate Rohan Khaunte had extended support to the party.
Also, informal talks were on with three legislators of the Goa Forward Party on Saturday, before
I apologise to the people of Goa as we couldn’t muster the support to form the government Digvijaya Singh, Cong leader
the BJP stole the march on its rival after it could not muster the numbers to capture power.
Congress’ lone woman legislator Jeniffer Monserratte representing Taleigao constituency said: “Our party leaders are to be blamed for the failure to form the government.”
“People had given us the mandate but party leaders failed to respect it. It is entirely their fault,” she said.
Similarly, senior leader and Curtorim legislator Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said that the people wanted the Congress to form the government but party leaders miserably failed to honour the verdict. — IANS, AFP, PTI