Days after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi, the Goa Congress on Monday staked claim to form a government in the state.
In its letter to Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, the state Congress claimed that they are the single largest party and should be given a chance to form government.
The Congress has 16 members in the 40-member state Assembly.
The state is being ruled by the BJP-led Alliance. The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, its allies Goa Forward Party and MGP have three each. Three Independents and an MLA from Nationalist Congress Party also support the BJP.
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All the 16 Congress MLAs, led by Kavlekar, went to the Raj Bhavan but could not meet the governor as she is out of the state.
"Submitted two memorandums and requested that situation to undergo election within 18 months shouldn't arise. People elected us for 5 years. If present government is not capable to function, we should be given the chance, we'll do it," Chandrakant Kavlekar, Congress Legislature Party chief in Goa said.
"We are the single largest party, we should have been given the chance earlier. We have numbers so we are staking claim," Kavlekar said.
Earlier, BJP leader Ram Lal said the Goa government is stable and no demand has been made for a change in the leadership.
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He stated this after a meeting with party MLAs, former legislators and core committee members.
He said the BJP's alliance partners - the Goa Forward Party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Independents - conveyed that they will agree to any political decision taken by the saffron party.
Parrikar, 62, is undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment.
He was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic ailment in February this year, after which he has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and now Delhi for treatment.
His absence due to medical reasons has been criticised by the Opposition as well as civil society.
(Agencies)
