Team Herald
PORVORIM: It was an embarrassing moment for Congress in the House on day one of the monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, as the chair of Leader of Opposition (LoP) remained vacant.
The monsoon session began on Monday with the ruling BJP holding a strength of 27 MLAs, whereas Congress had five, GFP had three, MGP had one, NCP had one and the three independent MLAs.
Despite having being left with only five MLAs, after ten of its legislators switched over to BJP, the Congress legislative wing and its Goa desk in-charge Dr Chellakumar failed to elect the LoP. Speaking to media persons just before the session begun, Senior Congress MLA and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said that the LoP would be elected within next two days. “We already conducted the process. Chella Kumar already consulted each MLA individually. We are also waiting for the decision,” Kamat said.
However Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco remained critical of the slow pace. “I have not yet been told who is going to be our leader,” he said.
Speaker Rajesh Patnekar had changed the seating positions of the GFP members who have withdrawn their support to the government.
GFP’s Vijai Sardesai, Vinod Palyekar and Jayesh Salgaonkar along with Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte were shifted to the opposition benches along with the five Congress members.
When the session began on Monday morning, the Speaker withdrew the questions asked by Dy CM Chandrakant Kavlekar, Minister Jennifer Monserrate and Minister Felipe Neri Rodrigues, who were sworn in as the ministers on Saturday.
