Mumbai, January 18
The political situation in Goa continues to be fluid with Congress leaders still bargaining with MLAs from the Nationalist Congress Party and other outfits to save the Digambar Kamat government in the state. Kamat has left for Delhi for negotiations with the party high command.
So far, the three NCP MLAs who have threatened to pull out of the government, have not sent any communication to Governor S C Jamir of formally withdrawing support to the state government. NCP chief Sharad Pawar is said to be putting pressure on the party MLAs to stay within the alliance.
Sources say that the NCP central leadership has warned the three MLAs of disqualification under the anti-defection laws if they pull out of the government.
Meanwhile, negotiations are on to obtain hefty portfolios. Apart from the three NCP MLAs, the lone UGDP leader Babush Monserrate and Reginaldo Lourenco of the Save Goa Front are demanding plum portfolios modelled on the Maharashtra pattern.
The NCP is demanding the PWD portfolio at present held by Churchill Alemao, a leader of the Save Goa Front. They also want Dayanand Narvekar to be stripped of the Finance portfolio.
At present 12 of the 40 MLAs in the Goa house have portfolios of minister or that of cabinet secretary which is equivalent to that of a minister. Of this, eight are from the Congress while the NCP has three. While one minister is from the SGF another is Independent Vishwajit Rane who is leading the rebellion.
