Congress Goa crisis: Another MLA resigns from party, Digvijaya to petition president against guv

After Vishwajit Rane, another disgruntled Congress MLA Savio Rodrigues resigned from the party on Friday. He blamed the Congress high command and general secretary in-charge for Goa, Digvijaya Singh, for failing to form the government despite emerging as the single largest party in the recently held Assembly election.

I have resigned from the Congress. I am too small a voter to merit even a phone call. @OfficeOfRG @nayanchandra @sureshnakhua

— Savio Rodrigues 🇮🇳 (@PrinceArihan) March 17, 2017

Alliance or non-alliance. We got enough numbers. Did we not fail to go the governor or elect leader @digvijaya_28 @OfficeOfRG @nayanchandra

— Savio Rodrigues 🇮🇳 (@PrinceArihan) March 17, 2017

The infighting within the Goa Congress unit came out in the open after Rane disappeared before the crucial floor test on Thursday. Later, the three-time Congress MLA submitted his resignation to pro-tem Speaker Siddharth Kuncolienkar and quit the party. Rane said that he was upset with the party leadership as it failed to form the government in Goa despite getting the people’s mandate in the Assembly polls. “The mandate in Goa was against the BJP. Now, they (the Congress) have given BJP the mandate on a platter,” he said. Rane said the Goa Forward Party, whose three MLAs later extended support to Manohar Parrikar and which had contested the election on anti-BJP plank, wanted former chief minister Digambar Kamat to be elected as the Congress Legislature Party leader and not Luizinho Faleiro. “I do not expect anything from the Congress. They have betrayed the trust of Goa by not forming the government despite people giving them a clear mandate,” Rane told PTI. In a series of tweets, Digvijaya defended his way of handling party affairs in Goa and said the party is going raise the issue in Parliament and submit a petition to the President of India on the conduct of Goa governor Mridula Sinha.

Going to raise in Parliament and petition to the President on conduct of Governor, Goa

— Digvijaya Singh (@digvijaya_28) March 17, 2017

He blamed the governor and said that letter to the governor is sent after the leader of the legislative party is chosen, but in the case of Goa, the governor took a premature decision in favour of the BJP. He also attacked Rane and alleged that he is in cahoots with Parrikar.

Letter to Governor goes after the leader is chosen. Which we did but the Governor took the decision without before that

— Digvijaya Singh (@digvijaya_28) March 17, 2017

What was he doing when CLP leader was being chosen? Having coffee with Parrikar in a Hotel when we were choosing CLP leader.

— Digvijaya Singh (@digvijaya_28) March 17, 2017

Digvijaya also tweeted about an alliance with a regional party headed by Babush Monserrate and Goa Forward and said “our own leaders” sabotaged the alliance.

As a strategy I had proposed a secular alliance with regional party headed by Babush Monserrate and Goa Forward headed by Vijay Sardesai.

— Digvijaya Singh (@digvijaya_28) March 17, 2017

Our alliance with Babush went through and we won 3 out of 5 but our alliance with Goa Forward was sabotaged by our own leaders. Sad !

— Digvijaya Singh (@digvijaya_28) March 17, 2017

Rajya Sabha was in uproar over the government formation in Goa. Over the uproar, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the BJP is ready for discussion, Rajya Sabha Deputy Speaker PJ Kurien said Goa governor’s conduct can be discussed on the basis of a substantive motion. Members of the Congress party stormed the Well raising slogans.

Uproar in Rajya Sabha after Congress MP Digvijay Singh raises #Goa issue pic.twitter.com/6lzHTBayfs

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2017

Governor's conduct can only be discussed on the basis of a substantive motion: Rajya Sabha Dy Speaker P J Kurien #Goa pic.twitter.com/erzpJgzWkS

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2017

Congress protests in well of Rajya Sabha, raises slogan 'Loktantra ki hatya band karo, band karo' over #Goa issue pic.twitter.com/YyhpFhDINz

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2017

The Congress failed to cobble up a majority despite winning 17 of the 40 seats in Goa, even as all opposition members other than Congress joined hands with BJP to form a government under Parrikar. With inputs from PTI