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'30 govts in 57 years': Vice prez questions frequent change in Goa's leadership
“This results in negative perceptions. The question I would like to raise is would Goa have done better with better political stability?” Naidu asked.
Frequent changes of government in Goa over the past decades since liberation raises questions of the ability of the leadership to deliver and results in a negative perception of politicians, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said.
Speaking in Goa on the occasion of Legislator’s Day to mark the day when the then legislative Assembly of Goa Daman and Diu first convened in 1963 two years after the state was freed from the Portuguese rule, Naidu lamented that only three governments since then were able to complete a full five-year term.
“Since the first elections in 1963 after Liberation, Goa had as many as 30 governments during the last 57 years. This is quite a huge number by any reckoning. 11 of these 30 governments had less than one year, ranging from six days to 334 days,” Naidu said.
“Another three governments lasted less than two years. Only three governments lasted the full term of five years. The state was placed under the president's rule as many as five times of a total of 659 days which is about two years,” Naidu added.
“Change of government mid-course for genuine and compelling reasons are democratically sanctioned. Frequent such changes raise the question of stability and the ability of the governments to deliver. Why? How has it happened? Stability and ability go together to make progress. Though Goa has done well despite such frequent changes of government, it is difficult to understand such a political flux," he stated.
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“This results in negative perceptions. The question I would like to raise is would Goa have done better with better political stability?” he asked.
Naidu also lamented that the image of politicians is ‘going down’.
“Unfortunately, the people's perception is that the right character among the politicians is in short supply. I am sorry, I am frank. One has to be frank. This is what is happening. The image of the politicians is going down, because of the conduct of some people,” Naidu said.
The function was attended by Governor of Goa and Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari, chief minister Pramod Sawant, Speaker Rajesh Patnekar, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, among several other legislators of the past and present day.
