Team Herald

PANJIM: The State Congress on Monday petitioned the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind urging him to refrain from dissolving the Goa Assembly without giving the party a chance to prove its majority on the floor of the House. 

“We have petitioned the government and there should be no decision to dissolve the House without exploring the option of inviting our party to form the government and for this reason, it is imperative that you issue instructions and guide the Governor of Goa, so that there is no constitutional overreach to seek a dissolution by foul play, contrary to the wishes of the majority,” the petition signed by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar states. 

“We have the numbers on our side,” said CLP leader Chandrakant Babu Kavalekar.

“Congress has already started preparations for election in every constituency in Goa,” Chodankar said.  

Chodankar, in a petition, briefed Kovind about their earlier pleas to Governor Mridula Sinha on staking claim to form government in the state and said it is imperative that the President issues instructions and guides the Governor, so that there is no constitutional over-reach to seek dissolution of the Assembly.

The Congress is the largest party in the 40-member Goa Assembly with 16 MLAs, while the Parrikar government has the support of 23 MLAs.

Accusing the BJP of acting "power hungry" in Goa, the Congress had on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar step down and it be allowed to prove majority by convening a special session of the Assembly.