SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM: In two days the suspense over who will form the next government will end as votes polled for the 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly on February 4, will be counted on March 11.
Speculation is rife on who will form the next government with some saying BJP has the edge, while others suggest it would be the Congress while yet others feel it would be a hung Assembly.
Herald takes a look at the past four elections since 1999 when BJP first achieved the double figures for the first time in Goa.
A closer look reveals that while the governments from statehood to 2005 were unstable and chief ministers were frequently changed, Goa saw some stability since 2007. The credit could also be attributed to the Anti-Defection Law.
The drama from 1999 to 2002
After the President’s rule in 1999 from February 10, 1999 to June 9, 1999, Luizinho Faleiro was elected as Chief Minister with Congress getting a clear mandate from the people.
That election, while Congress got 21, BJP pocketed 10, MGP 4, UGDP 2, GRCP 2 and 1 was an independent. However, despite having a clear majority, Congress and Faleiro could not complete the full term as the government lasted just 168 days.
Congressman Francisco Sardinha broke away from the party and formed a new political party, the Goa People’s Congress (GPC) and became Chief Minister of a coalition government in the state together with BJP, giving the saffron party its first shot at power in 1999.
He remained in office till 2000. Later, Sardinha’s GPC merged with the Congress on 5 April 2001.
Sardinha’s tenure lasted for just 334 days as Manohar Parrikar was sworn in as the new Chief Minister after several Congressmen and other MLAs defected and joined the BJP.
However, Parrikar’s joy was also short-lived as his first tenure as CM lasted only 223 days and he dissolved the House after MLAs defected.
BJP emerges single largest party in 2002
The controversial term
In 2002, Parrikar’s BJP bagged 17 seats just one more than the Congress with NCP getting 1, MGP 2, UGDP 3 and Ind 1.
However on January 29, 2005, Parrikar’s government was reduced to a minority in the Assembly after four BJP MLAs resigned from the House.
The then Goa Governor, SC Jamir dismissed the 32-month-old Parrikar-led coalition government, even as the government won a vote of confidence, albeit controversial, on the floor of the House.
The one line order read: “In exercise of powers vested under Article 164(1) and other enabling provisions of the Constitution of India, I, SC Jamir, Governor of the State of Goa, do hereby withdraw my pleasure and accordingly dismiss Shri Manohar Parrikar as Chief Minister of the State of Goa.”
The House had earlier passed a confidence motion with 18 votes in favour and six against. Parrikar termed this as violation of Constitution. Pratapsingh Rane of the Congress subsequently replaced Parrikar as Chief Minister.
However, a month later Goa was brought under President’s Rule after the Union Cabinet at its meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommended this and the Assembly was kept under suspended animation, even though the Rane government had earlier won a kind of vote of confidence in the House.
The Cabinet decided to act without waiting for any recommendation from Governor SC Jamir about the far-from-correct procedure adopted by pro tem Speaker Francisco Sardinha, which resulted in a technical victory for the Rane Government.
Rane was again sworn in as CM after he proved his majority in the House that year in June.
BJP floored in 2007
In 2007, the Parrikar-led BJP was defeated in the elections by the Congress. BJP won 14, while Congress got 16, NCP bagged 3, MGP 2, UGDP 1, Save Goa Front 2 and Ind 2.
Digamabar Kamat, who had defected to the Congress in 2005, became the first Chief Minister in decades to complete a full term. While there were several attempts to dislodge the Kamat government he survived them all.
2012 clear majority
The BJP for the first time won a clear majority in 2012 with 21 seats. Congress was reduced to 9. BJP’s ally MGP bagged three seats while GVP, which also extended support bagged 2. Goa also saw five independents being elected that year.
After getting a clear majority Parrikar had promised a corruption-free government and solution to important issues like MoI, casinos, Regional Plan etc.
But even this time, Parrikar could not complete a full term as the CM as he was called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who appointed him as Defence Minister. Mandrem MLA and then Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar was elected Parrikar’s successor.
