A resurgent Congress in Goa is skipping around in an attempt to win back the prize it let slip away from its hands a year ago. It did win 17 seats in the 2017 Assembly elections, becoming the single largest party in the Assembly but falling four MLAs short of a majority. Its delay in choosing a leader, who would be the chief ministerial candidate and staking claim to form the government, cost it dearly, as the BJP, then with 13 seats cobbled up a majority with two regional parties and three independent MLAs to occupy the seat of power. Congress’ legal battles at that time did not get them any relief.
A year later, Congress remains the single largest party, though one MLA less than it had when the votes were counted, and following the Karnataka Governor calling on the BJP to form the government in that State by virtue of it being the single largest party, feels it is back in contention to form the government. The party in Goa has given the Governor seven days to invite them to form the government in the State with the claim that they will prove their majority in the House. True, a government has to prove its majority in the House and not before the Governor or the people. But having taken this step of seeking an invitation to form the government, Congress has not said how it hopes to get the numbers in its favour.
Reports coming in indicate that Congress is exploring various possibilities in getting the numbers in its favour. Party leaders do not admit that they are approaching MLAs, but claim that the party is being approached by those ‘frustrated’ by the collapse of the administration. The Congress’ bid for power would depend entirely on weaning away the regional parties and Independents who are currently in coalition with the BJP. At the same time none of the partners of the current BJP-led alliance have admitted to be interested in rocking the boat they are currently sailing in and jumping midstream into another.
Political stability has not been the hallmark of Goa, the State having gone through a decade of instability in the 1990s, followed by quite a few changes in government in the early 2000s, as MLAs changed parties, quit their membership of the Assembly only to contest the resultant by-election on a different party ticket. It was only after the elections of 2007 that the State got a very stable government, though attempts at bringing down governments did take place.
The party has petitioned the Governor to invite them to form the government. The resignation of B S Yeddyurappa has given Congress further impetus. If Congress, expecting a positive response from the government, is making a serious bid for power, it has to ensure that it can provide a stable government to the State. The State cannot afford to go through another period of instability, especially since there are a number of issues that need to be decided upon.
Stability, therefore, is the key, as a coalition government always has its own challenges, which rock the boat, and so needs a strong, acceptable leader to negotiate the storms. Can Congress provide such a leader from its current MLAs? Congress has always had trouble zeroing in on a Chief Ministerial candidate, as the claimants to the position are many. Arriving at a consensus will not be easy, especially since at this point of time the person would have to be acceptable to any possible alliance partners too.
The struggling government at the present time needed the wake-up call sounded by the Congress. This should, hopefully, goad the current dispensation to renew itself to the demands of the State and the people. And should Congress fail in its bid, it would do well to keep the pressure on the government to deliver.
