New government formation on hold as no consensus arrived on CM choice

Team Herald

PANJIM: Even six hours after the death of Chief
Minister Manohar Parrikar, alliance members – BJP, MGP, GFP and Independents –
were unable to arrive at a consensus choice of who would be the next chief
minister of the State.

Talks on the choice of a new leader remained
inconclusive till late into the night, as the parties awaited the arrival of
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari who arrived from New Delhi post midnight.

As the paper was being sent to the press, there
was speculation that the alliance partners may favour a brief spell of
President’s Rule during which time the Assembly would be kept in suspended
animation, so as to decide the future of the government.

Soon after the demise of Parrikar, the alliance
partners went into a huddle. Goa Forward MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Vinod Palyekar
and Jayesh Salgaocar, MGP MLAs Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar, Manohar (Babu)
Azgaonkar and Deepak Pauskar, three Independents Rohan Khaunte, Govind Gaude,
Prasad Gaonkar, and three BJP MLAs Michael Lobo, Vishwajit Rane and Glenn Ticlo
went into a huddle along with BJP State organising secretary Satish Dhond.

Speaking to the media after almost four hours of
the meeting, Dhavalikar said nothing had been decided. “Union minister Nitin
Gadkari is arriving tonight and we all nine MLAs – GFP, MGP and Independents –
will meet him and then decide the future leader,” Dhavalikar said.

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Union minister Nitin Gadkari is arriving tonight and we all nine MLAs – GFP, MGP and Independents – will meet him and then decide the future leader.

Ramkrishna Dhavalikar, MGP Leader

 Gadkari is coming tonight, we will meet him but BJP has to decide first and take coalition partners into confidence.

Vijai Sardesai, GFP President