State govt heading towards natural death: Chella Kumar

Panaji: The uncertainty over the state leadership and the discontent within the cabinet would propel the BJP-led coalition government towards a natural death, said AICC secretary and Goa desk in-charge, A

Chella Kumar

on Friday. However, the central Congress leader refused to give details on the Congress party’s ability or plans to form the next government.

“This government is going towards a natural death,” Chella Kumar told TOI. “There is discontent within the cabinet, and their only focus is to retain power, but that will speed up the process.”

The BJP-led coalition government has 23 MLAs in the 40-member house, while the Congress has just 16 legislators. Despite this, the Congress has repeatedly said that they have the numbers to form the government. The party also filed a no-confidence motion against the government and against speaker Pramod Sawant.

The political upheaval began with chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s illness and BJP’s subsequent attempt to find a successor. “They want to replace

Parrikar

,” Chella Kumar said. “Senior leaders came to Goa and held discussions with all the coalition members but what happened? Zero action.”

The AICC secretary also said that the present government had been formed by political parties who “compromised on their political ideology and back-stabbed their own voters”.

The Congress argues that due to Parrikar’s illness, the functioning of the state government has come to a standstill. Closure of mining, delay in notification of the casino policy, administrative decisions and pending files in portfolios held by Parrikar are some of the charges that the Congress has made against the government.

Chella Kumar, along with former chief minister and Margao legislator Digambar Kamat and former Union minister Ramakant Khalap, also held a public interaction with mining-affected families in Bicholim.

“Today, the mood and sentiment of the people of Goa is that they want the Parrikar government to go,” Chella Kumar said.