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D’Souza wins trust vote

PANAJI, Sept 8 (PTI) — The Wilfred D’Souza ministry in Goa today easily won a vote of confidence, capping weeks of legislative and legal battles and ending a two-month-long political impasse in the state.

The motion expressing confidence in the coalition government was carried with 23 members voting in favour and 14 against.

Those who voted for the motion in the 40-member House included nine MLAs of the Goa Rajiv Congress Party headed by D’Souza, eight of the coalition partner Maharashtra Gomantak Party and four of the BJP who are lending support from outside and three Independents.

In his brief speech, a bitter former Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane said what had happened was immoral. "People have gone for personal benefits and they will regret. The people's court is the other forum still open to me."

D’Souza, sworn in as Chief Minister on July 29 following the dismissal of the Congress ministry headed by Rane, was given time till September 9 to prove his majority by Governor J.F.R. Jacob.

D’Souza, who along with nine other MLAs broke away from the 25-member Congress Legislature Party to float the Goa Rajiv Congress Party (GRCP), formed a coalition ministry with the participation of the Maharashtra Gomantak Party (MGP) and support of the BJP.

In the 40-member House, the Congress has 15 members, the GRCP 10, the MGP 8, the BJP four, and Independents three.