BJP parades MLAs before President

BJP seeks the President's intervention in the Goa crisis and parades 20 of its MLAs before her, reports HS Bartwal.

The BJP on Saturday sought President Pratibha Patil’s intervention in the political crisis in Goa and paraded 20 of its supporting MLAs before her at the Rashtrapati Bhawan while staking claim to form the government in the state.

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The legislators of the newly-formed Goa Democratic Alliance (GDA), led by Leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly Manohar Parrikar and BJP president Rajnath Singh, submitted a memorandum to the President urging her to ensure that the Assembly held a sitting on Monday and the first item on its agenda for the day was a trial of strength of the Congress-led government.

“It is clear that the Congress-led government has been reduced to a minority and the new Goa Democratic Alliance has a majority,” the memorandum stated while alleging that attempts were now being made by the Congress to pressurise MLAs and ensure that the House did not meet on Monday. It also stated that in view of the “certain defeat” of the Congress during a trial of strength in the Assembly, the governor must invite Parrikar to form the next government immediately.