MARGAO: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday handed over land title documents (sanads) for forest land under occupation to several beneficiaries under the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Addressing the gathering at a function held at the south Goa collectorate, Sawant said that the government has set a target of handing over 10,000 sanads to claimants of both individual and community rights category, within the next 12 to 18 months. Sawant said that his government was working on the Antyodaya principle, and said that being able to hand over titles to rightful claimants of forest land under the Act was his biggest achievement since becoming the chief minister. “There were nearly 10,000 applications pending under the Act whenI became the chief minister in 2019. No sanad was given to any claimant before that. So far 2,000 to 2,500 sanads have been handed over to beneficiaries. The rest will be cleared in due course,” he said. He urged beneficiaries not to sell the agricultural land they have now come to own, but cultivate it with the assistance of the agriculture department. Sawant also inaugurated the FRC Sanad Information System portal that will facilitate beneficiaries under the Act to obtain their land title documents online. “This is yet another step in our mission towards making Goa swayampurna (self-reliant),” Sawant said. Despite a large number of claims, sources said lack of documentation by claimants, the requirement of 50% quorum at gram sabhas have turned out to be major impediments in speedy processing of claims.
PANAJI: The state government on Thursday notified 46.1 sqkm area in the state as private forest, in compliance with an order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). This is the first parcel of land in Goa to be notified as a private forest. However, in the meantime, work is in progress to confirm almost double of the area notified, which has been identified provisionally as private forest for now. Enumeration of 9,183 ha or 91.8 sqkm area is being carried out at present by 16 sub-committees comprising range forest officers, inspectors of survey and land records, and village talathis, under the supervision of the deputy conservator of forests. This area was identified as a provisional forest by the Thomas and the Araujo committees. “The review of survey numbers provisionally identified as private forests by the Thomas and Araujo committees is on as per the order of NGT dated January 7, 2021. Five interim reports have been already uploaded on the forest department website, and three compliance reports have been filed before the tribunal and the balance review work is under process,” an official said. The first parcel of 46.1 sqkm of private forest notified now in Goa was based on the findings of the Sawant and the Karapurkar committees, which were later reviewed and confirmed by the Sharma committee. The government panels, while identifying private forests, applied the criteria that the area should be either contiguous to government forest lands or, if in isolation, the minimum area identified should be 5 ha. And, canopy density should not be less than 0.4. The review committee has now formed several sub-committees, which are carrying out ground enumeration mainly based on the third criteria — that at least 75% of the tree species in the private forest are of ‘forestry type’. This will be the determining factor for an identified area to qualify as private forest. So that there are no objections to the forest found to be qualifying as private forest from the land owners, the review committee has now put multiple checks in place. These checks include the range forest officer or member secretary of the sub-committee mandatorily visiting all the sites and verifying 100% sample points on ground. Further, an inspector of survey and land records and talathi also attend the field enumeration and verify the report prepared by the sub-committee before sending it to the review committee. In addition, assistant conservators of forests have been assigned an area for checking and have to verify at least 20% of the sample points. Besides this, geo-reference photographs of the trees at sampling points have to be taken mandatorily, along with the representatives, objectors or owners of the land.
PANAJI: Seven of the eight MLAs who defected to BJP last week met Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda at the party headquarters in Delhi on Monday. Chief minister Pramod Sawant, who accompanied the MLAs along with state BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, told TOI that Shah and Nadda urged the MLAs to work for the development of the state, and that BJP should win both Lok Sabha seats in Goa. The Goan contingent, however, had to return without meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cancelled the appointment at the last minute. Sawant told TOI that Modi cancelled the meeting because of his busy schedule, and that they would meet him next time. The meeting between the MLAs, Shah and Nadda took half an hour, and various issues were discussed. The seven MLAs are former CM Digambar Kamat (Margao), Aleixo Sequeira (Nuvem), Rodolfo Fernandes (Santa Cruz), Delilah Lobo (Siolim), Sankalp Amonkar (Mormugao), Kedar Naik (Saligao), and Rajesh Faldessai (Cumbarjua). Calangute MLA Michael Lobo was not part of the group, as he is in Kenya. Eight months after they did a run of a temple, a chapel and a mosque, taking a vow not to defect from Congress and even signing an affidavit pledging their loyalty to the party, eight of the 11 Congress MLAs “merged” the CLP into BJP taking the saffron party’s strength to 28 in the 40-member House. The three MLAs who remain with Congress are Quepem MLA Altone D Costa, Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao and Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira. The merger of the CLP into BJP was held considering the upcoming Lok Sabha election, where BJP is eying both seats, especially South Goa, which has proved tough for the party to secure. So far, BJP has only won that seat twice. Chief minister Pramod Sawant is likely to reshuffle his cabinet after returning from Delhi. Sawant is likely to induct one minister initially. Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira is likely to be the first to be inducted, political sources said. Whether Margao MLA Digambar Kamat is to be inducted in the state cabinet or moved to Delhi will be taken by the central leadership, a senior BJP leader had said. Ahead of the Delhi visit, Sawant also attended the coordination meeting called by RSS. The chief minister said that all the organisations connected with RSS attended the meeting.
PANAJI/VASCO: Chief minister Pramod Sawant will lead the seven MLAs, who merged the Congress legislative wing into BJP, in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Sawant said that the seven MLAs will meet the PM, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda. “Our visit to Delhi is purely meant to meet party leaders,” the chief minister told TOI at the Goa airport. Sawant, accompanied by BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar and five of the newly inducted MLAs left for Delhi by a late evening flight on Sunday. Tanavade said that other than meeting the PM, Union home minister and party’s national president, “nothing else has been planned during our scheduled visit to Delhi”. Michael Lobo told TOI that he is unable to attend the meeting on Monday as he is currently in Kenya and will return on Thursday. The five newly inducted MLAs who accompanied the CM and Tanavade on the flight to Delhi are Sankalp Amonkar, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rudolf Fernandes and Aleixo Sequeira. Sources said that Digambar Kamat and Rajesh Phaldesai have already reached the national capital. The chief minister is likely to reshuffle his cabinet after returning from Delhi. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and former leader of opposition and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo along with six other MLAs “merged” the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) with BJP, last week. Ahead of the Delhi visit, Sawant also attended the coordination meeting called by RSS. The chief minister said that all the organisations connected with RSS attended the meeting. Sawant is likely to induct one minister initially. Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira is likely to be first to be inducted. Whether Kamat is to be inducted in the state cabinet or moved to Delhi will be taken by the central leadership, a senior BJP leader said. Besides Kamat and Lobo, the other MLAs who joined BJP are Sequeira, Rodolfo Fernandes (Santa Cruz), Michael’s wife Delilah (Siolim), Sankalp Amonkar (Mormugao), Kedar Naik (Saligao) and Rajesh Faldessai (Cumbarjua). Eight months after they did a run of a temple, a chapel and a mosque taking a vow not to defect from Congress and even signing an affidavit pledging their loyalty to the party, eight of the 11 Congress MLAs “merged” the CLP into BJP taking the saffron party’s strength to 28 in the 40-member House. The three MLAs who remained with Congress are Quepem MLA Altone D Costa, Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao and Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira. The merger was held considering the upcoming Lok Sabha seat where BJP is eyeing to win both the seats especially the South Goa one which has proved tough to secure. So far BJP has only won the seat twice.
PANAJI: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant will lead the 8 MLAs, who merged the Congress legislative wing into BJP, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Sawant told TOI that the eight MLAs will meet the Prime Minister, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda. The chief minister is likely to reshuffle his cabinet after returning from the national capital. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and former leader of opposition and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo along with six other MLAs “merged” the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) with BJP, last week. Ahead of the Delhi visit, Sawant also attended the coordination meeting called by RSS. He said that all the organisations connected with RSS attended the meeting. Sawant is likely to induct one minister initially. Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira is likely to be first to be inducted.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said he will be traveling to Delhi with the eight newly inducted MLAs, who defected to the BJP from the Congress. Sawant and the MLAs are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national Capital.The chief minister, who attended an annual meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday, said, “A meeting with the PM has been fixed. I will go with the eight MLAs and the (Goa BJP) president,” he told reporters.Eight MLAs – including former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat and former leader of Opposition Micheal Lobo – who were elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly on Congress tickets, defected to the BJP on September 14, in a merger of the two legislature parties. With this, the Congress’s strength declined from 11 to just three MLAs in the 40-member Assembly and that of the BJP increased from 20 to 28.In July 2019, two-thirds (then 10 out of 15) of the Congress MLAs had defected to the BJP in a similar fashion. Back then too, the defections took place while Sawant helmed the government.The recent developments have dealt a blow to the Congress at a time when party leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is underway. Along with Kamat and Lobo, MLAs including Lobo’s wife Delilah, former minister Aleixo Sequeira, Sankalp Amonkar, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Phal Dessai and Rudolfo Fernandes were welcomed into the saffron party by Pramod Sawant and state BJP chief Sadanand Tanavade last week.Sawant had said, “Congress has started a Bharat Jodo Yatra but in Goa the Congress Chhodo Yatra has begun. I welcome the new MLAs in BJP wholeheartedly… Before the election, we had resolved ‘Bavisaant Baavis plus (22 plus MLAs in 2022)’ and before 2022 comes to an end, the BJP has 28 of its own MLAs and the BJP’s foundation in Goa has been strengthened. In the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, we will definitely win both Parliamentary seats. With Congress Chhodo Yatra beginning in Goa, various Congress leaders from across the country will come to the BJP in the interest of the nation and give more strength to Modi-ji. And Modi-ji will be back as the Prime Minister in 2024 with over 400 (parliamentary) seats.”After the Assembly election results were declared on March 10, the BJP had formed the government with 20 of its own MLAs and support from two MLAs from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independents. With eight Congress MLAs switching to the treasury benches in a merger of the legislature parties, the BJP now has 28 MLAs of its own and support from five, raising its tally to 33. The Opposition now consists of three Congress MLAs, two from the AAP and one each from the Goa Forward Party and the Revolutionary Goans Party.Stung first in 2019 with 10 of its 15 MLAs walking over to the BJP, the Congress had averted a repeat of the incident in July and accused Kamat and Lobo of engineering the defection of its MLAs. The party had also filed disqualification petitions against the two leaders before the Speaker of the Assembly. But the storm seemed to have blown over only for a while. With their respective trips to Delhi, both Kamat and Lobo had made it apparent that their entry into the BJP was imminent.Ahead of the Assembly election in February, the Congress had for the first time taken its election candidates to a temple, church and a dargah where they, led by Kamat, took an oath that they would stay in the Congress if elected on a party ticket. Later, they also filed affidavits to this effect in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.Asked if their oath before Goa was insincere, Kamat said: “I am a believer in God. About the oath which I have taken before God, I have gone back to the temple and I have asked God and the Goddess that this (joining BJP) is in my mind. What should I do? We have a system of getting prasad. Then God said, you go ahead, don’t worry.”AICC Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao had alleged that the BJP had paid Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore to each of the MLAs who jumped ship. He said that the BJP had spent Rs 240 crore for splitting the Congress in Goa.Goa BJP president Sadanand Tanavade had then said, “We did not go seeking any MLAs. They formed their group and said that they want to join our party. We have not given a single rupee to any one or made any promises. They have come on their own and they have come unconditionally. The Congress only wants to make such allegations against us to divert people’s attention.”
PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that the panchayat's role is not just restricted to granting construction licences, but to also serve the people, maintain cleanliness, conserve water bodies, and other related aspects. Sawant was speaking during the inauguration of a training programme by Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (GIPARD) for newly-elected representatives of village panchayats at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao on Thursday. The chief minister urged the panchs to be the link person between the government and reach out to the last person in society. He said told the panchs that they have a role to play in identifying persons with disabilities who require implants and assistive devices in their wards and help them in getting the devices which the government provides for free. Similarly, panch members can play a role in monitoring and identifying children under the age of six who require cochlear implant operation which costs over Rs 6 lakh where the family won't have to spend any money, he said. "If you identify children who are hearing impaired as early as possible, you can facilitate them and direct them to GMC, and they won't have to spend anything for the operation," Sawant said. He narrated the incident of a 34-year-old woman who suffered a spinal cord injury and was at home for four years, and she couldn't afford a wheelchair. The government provided her one and it was for the first time that she had gotten out of her house. "Whatever the cost of the wheelchair and other assistive devices, the government can bear the expenses," Sawant said. Sawant said Goa's utilisation of central government schemes is low compared to other states, despite it being an educated state, and urged panch members to reach out to those living in poverty and link them with schemes including self-sustaining schemes.
With eight of its 11 MLAs in Goa joining the BJP on Wednesday, the Congress party faced a second major instance of defection in the state in the past three-and-a-half years of BJP rule under Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.Despite his personal winning margin having shrunk to 666 votes in this year’s Assembly election, the BJP’s central leadership had decided to keep Sawant as Goa’s Chief Minister. He was, however, not without a challenger. Until the day Sawant was declared Chief Minister for a second time in March, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane was very much in the reckoning for the top job. Tensions between Sawant and Rane have been no secret in Goa’s politics, and spilt over during the time the state was reeling under a crisis in the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic amid deaths of patients in the Goa Medical College in May 2021. Of late, there have been fewer manifestations of these tensions.The latest defection of Congress MLAs, which follows a similar move by 10 of the party’s Goa MLAs in 2019, is likely to cement Sawant’s position as the BJP’s top leader in the coastal state. When Sawant welcomed the Congress defectors into the party fold at the BJP headquarters in Panaji on Wednesday, he was asked if raising the BJP’s tally in the 40-member House from 20 to 28 gave him an advantage. “I am saying this again. The BJP is a party that has a central leadership. We are not a regional party. We are constantly working in the interest of the country,” he responded.In July, when an attempt at the defection that came through on Wednesday was foiled, Sawant had said that the BJP had a stable government in Goa and did not need any more MLAs. On Wednesday, he said, “If people want to come and join us, they are welcome.” Asked if any of the newly inducted MLAs would be accommodated in his Cabinet, he said, “That we will see. They have been accommodated in the party. They have joined us unconditionally.”That this decision was taken with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls was apparent when Sawant said, “…the BJP’s foundation in Goa has been strengthened. In the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, we will definitely win both the Parliamentary seats.”The BJP has been determined to wrest the South Goa parliamentary seat from the Congress. The entry of former chief minister and eight-time Margao MLA Digambar Kamat into the BJP fold gave fresh wind to speculation that he could be the party’s candidate from South Goa in 2024.Asked on Wednesday if a Cabinet berth or a ticket to contest the parliamentary election from South Goa were among his expectations on his return to the BJP, Kamat said, “I am such a senior leader. I have no expectations. I have joined them unconditionally.”Making inroads into the Catholic-dominated Salcete taluka has been among the BJP’s main challenges in South Goa. However, in the last Assembly election, with Opposition votes split between the Congress, AAP and TMC, the BJP won the Navelim seat and secured one MLA in Salcete, which is spread out over eight Assembly constituencies. With the addition of former minister Aleixo Sequeira to the BJP on Wednesday, the saffron party may also be hopeful of securing more votes from the Nuvem Assembly constituency, which is also in Salcete. With the addition of four Catholic MLAs — three in North Goa and one in the South — the number of Catholic MLAs in the BJP climbed from five to nine.The BJP, which formed the government in the state with the support of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and three Independents, has the support of two Independent Catholic MLAs from Salcete.Goa BJP president Sadanand Tanavade said that Kamat’s entry into the party would help the BJP in Margao, the majority-dominated constituency of Salcete. “In Margao, this will definitely help us. He has been an MLA eight times.”“Leaders of other parties have seen the good work done by the BJP government in Goa and at the Centre under the leadership of PM Modi. This is happening all over the country. More and more leaders want to join the BJP because they have seen our work,” Tanavade said.While mid-term changes in leadership are not alien to BJP-governed states, Sawant may have put speculation over this to rest in Goa with Wednesday’s events coming on the back of comfortably forming a government in March and scoring big in the panchayat elections in the state in August.
Not its beaches or scenic beauty, Goa now finds itself in the spotlight for its precarious politics defined by moments such as the defection of eight Congress MLAs to the BJP on Wednesday, effecting the merger of two-thirds of the Congress Legislature Party with the BJP for the second time in three years.Defections, mergers, and resignations are not alien to the rest of India. But, given their frequency in Goa in the last 50-plus years, few in the state were surprised by the latest episode. Here are five broad factors that influence the people of Goa, once described as “ajeeb (strange)” by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, when they choose their public representatives.Just a very large villageWhat is striking about Goa’s politics is that Assembly constituencies are small and victory margins can sometimes be in two digits. Most MLAs know the residents of their constituencies by their first name. On festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, which is celebrated in Goa as Chovoth or Christmas, some MLAs visit the homes of nearly all their voters to greet them personally. They make assurances in terms of securing government jobs for their constituents or helping them get various permissions for their businesses.Former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who quit the BJP ahead of the Assembly election in February and contested as an Independent, said, “It is a small state with small constituencies. Where there are 25,000 to 30,000 voters, getting 10,000 can make you win. So what happens is that one can get about 4,000-5,000 votes on their goodwill or personal help that they may have extended to some people and about 5,000 to 6,000 votes can just be bought. Elections are like an investment and that is why MLAs want to be in power to recover these investments. I am not accusing all MLAs but this has been very common and it will not change until the people decide that their votes cannot be bought.”Personalities over partiesPolitical families in various parts of Goa have a tight grip on their constituencies and the voters have placed faith not on the parties that their MLAs belong to but on the individual, trusting them to get their work done. In various talukas, these families have been in power despite shifting loyalties from one party to another. Former Goa Chief Minister Pratap Singh Rane remained an undefeated Congress MLA in the Poriem seat of Sattari taluka for 45 years. But as soon as the octogenarian withdrew from the election fray before the Assembly polls this year, his daughter-in-law Deviya Rane made her political debut from Poriem as a BJP candidate and scored the highest winning margin of 13,943 in the state.Similarly, in the Tiswadi taluka of which Panaji is a part, Goa Revenue Minister Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate exerts a similar hold. He and his wife Jennifer have both been elected from the neighbouring constituencies of Panaji and Taleigao respectively on Congress tickets in the 2017 elections and a bypoll in 2019. They won this year’s Assembly polls from the BJP. Their son Rohit is the mayor of the Panaji city corporation.Double engine mattersWhile it may appear from a distance that party ideology does not seem to matter to the Goan electorate, the author of Ajeeb Goa’s Gajab politics (Strange Goa’s astonishing politics) Sandesh Prabhudesai begs to differ. “If that was the case, Michael Lobo would have never gone to the Congress. He comes from a Christian-dominated constituency, ” he said.The writer explained that Lobo’s previous victories from the BJP and that of five other Christian MLAs came at a time when the church had backed five Christian MLAs from the BJP to teach the Congress a lesson. He said, “Though the minority is about 25 per cent of the population in Goa, they are concentrated in 24 constituencies out of 40. That is more than half the constituencies. That is why even though they are a minority, they become the majority. It is a funny thing.”Prabhudesai also said that Goa had a “UT mentality”. “In 2014, the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre. In Goa, right from the beginning, the double-engine government has worked. Since it was a Union Territory (UT) before, it was dependent on the Centre. The mentality is also the UT mentality but by the time the 2022 election came, it was just not possible for the Church to support the BJP anymore. That’s the reason you’ll see many Christian MLAs of the BJP were defeated. You cannot say that the ideology does not matter anymore. For politicians, it may not matter but for the people it does,” the author said.Overlapping interests in land, businesses and politicsIn a state where tourism and, until 10 years ago, mining were the mainstays, many politicians have interests in these businesses or have been traditional landholders. Their businesses generate employment in their constituencies or in some constituencies, people may be beholden to them because they own land. Many MLAs across parties including have large interests in tourism. They own resorts and restaurants and tourism allied activities. Other MLAs are related to the mining business or allied mining activities, Prabhudesai pointed out.Religion and casteEven if the BJP is seen as a party pandering to its predominantly Hindu vote bank, the party formed its third consecutive government in a state that is still perceived as secular. While religion and caste do play a role in how elected representatives are chosen, they play out a little differently in Goa. Christian MLAs do win in seats dominated by the minority but some win even in seats dominated by Hindus like the Monserrates in Panaji and Taleigao. The Christian-dominated taluka of Salcete remains a hard turf for the BJP to break into but its Hindu MLA won a seat in the taluka this election – thanks to Opposition votes splitting three ways. But few play the religion or caste card in the election campaign.Academicians said candidates who win from various constituencies in the state generally represent the demographic of that constituency. Like a Christian candidate may win in a constituency that has a higher Christian population and similarly a Bhandari candidate may win in seats that have more Bhandari voters, but votes are never sought on those grounds.
VASCO: Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar, who joined BJP on Wednesday along with seven of his colleagues, said that he was forced to leave Congress as it failed to help grow his political career. "I have served the party for the past about 25 years. The party failed to recognise my hard work. I was expecting the GPCC president's post and leader of opposition, but the party leaders disappointed me. I was forced to leave the party amidst disappointments," Amonkar told TOI. Stating that he was always worried about developmental works in his constituency as also the employment issues facing the youth of Mormugao, Amonkar said, "These were possible only if I was in the ruling. I have gone through BJP's manifesto for Mormugao. I will see that all works listed are fulfilled." He said that he will ensure that all problems plaguing the constituency are resolved.
PANAJI: With eight Congress MLAs defecting to BJP, the saffron party is eyeing both Lok Sabha seats for the 2024 polls, especially South Goa, which it has historically found tough to secure. BJP currently has 12 MLAs in South Goa, including the three who joined on Wednesday. Former defence minister and chief minister Manohar Parrikar had managed to secure the South Goa seat for BJP in 2014, when he had 21 BJP MLAs and with the support of three MGP MLAs and two independents. Additionally, there was a 'Modi wave'. Five years later, in 2019, BJP lost the seat to Congress by over 9,000 votes. A political observer said that the merger of eight MLAs into BJP has given it an opportunity to once again grab the South Goa seat. "Now, BJP can expect more votes in Mormugao, Nuvem and Margao," the observer said. "An advantage is that MGP too is with BJP. During the last election, MGP had managed to damage BJP after its leader Ramakrishna 'Sudin' Dhavalikar was dropped from the cabinet. BJP should be able to fight the election comfortably, as it also has support from independent MLAs." BJP has so far won the South Goa seat on two occasions, and with an eye on crossing 400 seats in the Parliamentary polls, winning South Goa has become crucial for the state BJP. The party's central leadership too strongly backed the local leadership to allow the entry of Congress MLAs, so that there are no hiccups in winning both the seats. Union minister Narayan Rane has been given the responsibility of winning the South Goa seat for BJP. Of BJP's 28 MLAs, 12 are from the minority community. Now, the party does not require support of any other MLAs. In the 2022 assembly election, BJP won 20 seats and formed the government with the help of independents and MGP. In the 40-member Goa legislative assembly, 21 is the magic number, and with the eight Congress MLAs joining BJP, it has now got an 'absolute' majority in the House. The merger will also help chief minister Pramod Sawant silence opponents in the party vying for the top post.
Panaji: With eight Congress MLAs defecting to BJP, the saffron party is eyeing both Lok Sabha seats for the 2024 polls, especially South Goa, which it has historically found tough to secure.BJP currently has 12 MLAs in South Goa, including the three who joined on Wednesday.Former defence minister and chief minister Manohar Parrikar had managed to secure the South Goa seat for BJP in 2014, when he had 21 BJP MLAs and with the support of three MGP MLAs and two independents. Additionally, there was a ‘Modi wave’. Five years later, in 2019, BJP lost the seat to Congress by over 9,000 votes.A political observer said that the merger of eight MLAs into BJP has given it an opportunity to once again grab the South Goa seat.“Now, BJP can expect more votes in Mormugao, Nuvem and Margao,” the observer said. “An advantage is that MGP too is with BJP. During the last election, MGP had managed to damage BJP after its leader Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar was dropped from the cabinet. BJP should be able to fight the election comfortably, as it also has support from independent MLAs.”BJP has so far won the South Goa seat on two occasions, and with an eye on crossing 400 seats in the Parliamentary polls, winning South Goa has become crucial for the state BJP. The party’s central leadership too strongly backed the local leadership to allow the entry of Congress MLAs, so that there are no hiccups in winning both the seats.Union minister Narayan Rane has been given the responsibility of winning the South Goa seat for BJP.Of BJP’s 28 MLAs, 12 are from the minority community. Now, the party does not require support of any other MLAs. In the 2022 assembly election, BJP won 20 seats and formed the government with the help of independents and MGP. In the 40-member Goa legislative assembly, 21 is the magic number, and with the eight Congress MLAs joining BJP, it has now got an ‘absolute’ majority in the House.The merger will also help chief minister Pramod Sawant silence opponents in the party vying for the top post.
PANAJI: Union minister for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) Narayan Rane on Saturday said that with 12 MLAs in South Goa and the BJP government in the state, the party is confident of winning the South Goa seat for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He also expressed confidence that that BJP will win both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa. “BJP will 100% win the South Goa seat,” Rane said. Till date, BJP has won the South Goa seat only on two occasions. Currently, the seat is represented by Congress MP Francisco Sardinha. Rane said that MGP will support the BJP candidate in the Lok Sabha election.When asked if BJP wants to increase its MLAs in South Goa, Rane said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in every state, somethings happen automatically and we don’t have to make an effort. But it happens in the name of Modi. It takes time to happen in Goa, but when it happens, it happens effectively.” BJP has appointed Rane to oversee two Lok Sabha constituencies, including South Goa and South Mumbai.
PANAJI: Union minister for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) Narayan Rane on Saturday said that with 12 MLAs in South Goa and the BJP government in the state, the party is confident of winning the South Goa seat for the Lok Sabha election. Rane also expressed confidence that that BJP will win both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa. “BJP will 100% win the South Goa seat,” Rane said. Till date, BJP has won the South Goa seat only on two occasions. Currently, the seat is represented by Congress MP Francisco Sardinha. Rane said that MGP will support the BJP candidate in the Lok Sabha election. When asked if BJP wants to increase its MLAs in South Goa, Rane said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in every state, somethings happen automatically and we don’t have to make an effort. But it happens in the name of Modi. It takes time to happen in Goa, but when it happens, it happens effectively.”
Good morning, In today’s edition: Defections from Congress and its Presidential polls; PM Modi at SCO summit; modifying BCCI’s cooling-off clause; and moreThe Big StoryWith eight of its 11 MLAs in Goa quitting the party and joining the BJP, the Congress has taken yet another blow. The BJP termed the high-profile exits — of former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and former Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo — as the beginning of the “Congress chhoro yatra”.🔴 The Congress hit back, saying a “nervous” BJP had “fast tracked” its “Operation Kichad” in Goa because of the “visible success” of Rahul’s yatra.🔴 BJP seems to have taken the decision with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. CM Pramod Sawant said, “…the BJP’s foundation in Goa has been strengthened. In the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, we will definitely win both the Parliamentary seats.”🔴 It is interesting to note that months before the defection, Lobo and his wife were facing the heat as the state Town and Country Planning Department and the Food and Drugs Administration began cracking down on properties they owned in the touristy coastal belt of Bardez taluka in North Goa.Only in the ExpressTensions are also brewing in the Congress party over its much-anticipated President polls. A few leaders have expressed apprehension that some state units could pass resolutions expressing faith in leadership of the Gandhis, or even urging Sonia Gandhi to continue as party chief. This, they argued, could vitiate the election process.From the Front PageThe Supreme Court has allowed the BCCI’s request to permit amendments to its constitution so as to modify the requirement of a mandatory three-year cooling-off period for its officials. This paves the way for BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah to continue for another term in office.On that note, don’t miss: BCCI was waiting for weather to change, says reform panel head LodhaWith the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit beginning Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines, sources said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, facing flak from the Opposition for letting the Rs 1.5 lakh crore Vedanta-Foxconn project “slip out” of the state, spoke to PM Modi and was assured that the Centre would help bring “big projects” to the state.As many as 145 passengers and six crew members were evacuated from an Air India Express plane in Muscat after smoke was observed from one of the engines of the Boeing 737 aircraft. A probe is underway to determine the causes of the accident, which led to a few minor injuries.With the Army warning that its recruitment rallies in Punjab, under the short-term Agnipath scheme, may either be “held in abeyance” or shifted to neighbouring states due to “vacillating” support from the local civil administration, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed deputy commissioners to provide “complete support” and warned that “any laxity shall be viewed seriously”.Must ReadFor close to two years now, the Himachal Police have been working with a new model of ‘predictive policing’, using a data-intensive approach to steer the state towards reduced crime and accident rates. Every week, DGP Sanjay Kundu and his team pore through data from the week gone by – graphs of crimes under different heads, along with the weekly average over the last five years.An Oxfam India report noted that discrimination against women at work is so high that there is hardly any difference across religion or caste-based sub-groups, or the rural-urban divide. It said all women, regardless of their socioeconomic location, are “highly discriminated”. The report noted that while overall discrimination in wages for people from SC, ST and Muslims communities declined in regular/salaried jobs, it increased for women in this period — from 67.2% in 2004-05 to 75.7% in 2019-20.Government spending on health as a proportion of the total health expenditure in the country has been rising in recent years, even as the overall expenditure on health has declined, official data released this week show. We delve into the findings of the National Health Accounts Estimates 2018-19 report.And Finally…Delhi Confidential: With the BJP gearing up for a fierce battle in Karnataka early next year, the party wants to focus on the Old Mysore area that sends 80 legislators to the Assembly, and where the party is comparatively weak. While Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be holding a number of rallies, his predecessor BS Yediyurappa will take rounds of the region urging the electorate to vote for the BJP.🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 things’ podcast, we talk about Indian and Chinese troops disengaging in Ladakh, Allahabad university students’ protest over fee hike, and an Air India Express flight catching fire.Until next time,Sonal Gupta and Srishti Kapoor
Eight of the 11 Congress MLAs in Goa today joined the BJP after keeping the defection pot simmering for about two months. The Congress MLAs included former chief minister Digambar Kamat, leader of Opposition Micheal Lobo, his wife Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rudolfo Fernandes, former Goa power minister Aleixo Sequeira, Rajesh Phal Dessai, and Sankalp Amonkar. The smallest state in the country, Goa has just 40 members in its state Assembly. But the latest round of defections shows there is no end to the permutations and combinations that can be weaved with those numbers in its volatile, multi-party politics.A political slugfest has started in Maharashtra after Gujarat walked away with a mega Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor project that Maharashtra was counting on. However, the fact is that Foxconn has struggled to get its investments off the ground in Maharashtra. The first deal was signed with the Taiwanese firm for a mobile plant in 2015 when the BJP was in power in state and Centre, but still it failed. Amid the row, a look at how the project would have benefitted Maharashtra’s economy, and why Foxconn chose Gujarat over Maharashtra.The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved a Constitution amendment Bill that seeks to grant tribal status to the Hatti community living in the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district. The nod for Hattis came along with tribal status to a community in Chhattisgarh and two in Tamil Nadu. The Hattis form an electorally influential community in Himachal Pradesh, and the move might boost the ruling BJP’s chances in the coming Assembly elections. Amil Bhatnagar reports.The Supreme Court accepted BCCI’s plea seeking to do away with the mandatory cooling-off period between tenures of office bearers across state cricket associations and the BCCI, paving the way for cricket association president Saurav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah to continue in office. Now the administrators will have to undergo the cooling-off period only after two consecutive terms in office. The new rule will also apply to state cricket associations.Political PulseBihar agriculture minister and RJD MLA from Ramgarh, Sudhakar Singh, has created a stir by openly flagging corruption in his department and accusing his own government led by Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar of not listening to him. The son of state RJD president Jagdanand Singh, Sudhakar throws light on his stand, his party’s position and Nitish’s reaction on the issues has raised. Singh says he is “not at all apologetic about calling myself “choron ke sardar’”, adding that he is not a representative of the government “but of my people”. Read edited excerpts here. More From Political PulseIn Akhilesh’s biting attacks on Keshav Maurya, a strategy of ‘non-Yadav OBC outreach’Kejriwal's Ahmedabad 'autowala' host Vikram Dantani, whose pro-BJP family is at a crossroadsIs Bengal BJP on course for a comeback? Gloves off, party says mojo is backClick here for more Express ExplainedThousands of mourners will be allowed to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II beginning Wednesday till the day of her funeral next Monday. During this period, the Queen’s coffin will lie in state in Westminster Hall. Those wanting to visit have been warned of mile-long queues and airport-like stringent security arrangements. What is the meaning of lying-in-state? How will the Queen’s coffin lie in state? We explain.Dozens of Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers have reportedly been killed in renewed border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in the worst round of hostilities since 2020. After several hours of fighting, the Armenian government appealed to world leaders for help, saying that Azerbaijani forces were trying to advance into its territory. A look at the decades-old conflict, and what led to the current flare-up.
Eight of the 11 MLAs from the Congress in Goa Wednesday reached the Legislative Assembly complex and are set to resign from the party after keeping the defection pot simmering for about two months. Congress MLAs, including former chief minister Digambar Kamat, leader of Opposition Micheal Lobo, his wife Delilah Lobo, and five other MLAs were set to “merge” the Congress legislature party with the BJP, said political sources.The other Congress MLAs, who reached the Goa Assembly, are Kedar Naik, Rudolfo Fernandes, former Goa power minister Aleixo Sequeira, Rajesh Phal Dessai, and Sankalp Amonkar.In 2019, 10 Congress MLAs and two legislators from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) had similarly merged their legislature parties with the BJP.With the “merger” of the Congress’s legislature party with the BJP, the ruling party in the coastal state would then have 33 of 40 MLAs—including 20 who won the assembly election from the BJP, two from MGP and three Independents who extended support to it to form the government in March.The first attempt at defection was foiled in July after the Congress party accused Micheal Lobo and Kamat of engineering a defection. Disqualification petitions against them are pending.The defection of these MLAs would leave three MLAs in Congress and seven in Opposition parties. The three MLAs who remain with the Congress are Altone D’Costa, Yuri Alemao, and Carlos Ferreira.The defection comes despite pledges of loyalty that Congress MLAs had taken ahead of the February Assembly election in various places of worship, including a temple and a church. They had also signed an affidavit to this effect.In the 40-member House, the Bharatiya Janata Party has 20 MLAs, the Congress 11, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 2, the MGP 2, and the Goa Forward Party and Revolutionary Goans Party have one MLA each. There are three Independents.
The exodus of eight Congress MLAs -- Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Aleixo Sequeira, Rodolfo Fernandes, Rajesh Faldessai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar and Delilah Lobo -- has left the party in tatters. In the current situation, analysts say, Congress will have to reinvent itself and even then, after the second major setback in just three years, there are no guarantees that it can rise to the top.Digambar KamatA legislator since 1994, he was one of the four BJP MLAs when the saffron party opened its account in the Goa assembly. In 2005, he engineered the collapse of the Manohar Parrikar-led BJP government and returned to Congress. In 2007, he was picked as the chief minister. In February 2014, BJP linked him to the Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining case and Kamat was summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). In the run-up to the 2022 assembly polls, Kamat was the de facto CM candidate of Congress. Michael LoboA three-term MLA, Lobo is a political heavyweight in Bardez. He has been with BJP for over 15 years and was groomed by former chief minister Manohar Parrikar in Calangute. Lobo was the first BJP MLA to quit Pramod Sawant’s cabinet and then join Congress. Though he won the elections, the party did not do well and since then Lobo has been keen to return to the BJP fold. BJP minister Vishwajit Rane had called for an investigation into Lobo’s assets, accusing him of illegal conversion of land. Congress had made him opposition leader in March but within three months the party decided not to continue him in the wake of an unsuccessful attempt to split the party. Read AlsoEight of Cong’s 11 Goa MLAs break away, merge with BJPEight months after they did a run of a temple, a chapel and a mosque taking vows not to defect from Congress and even signing an affidavit pledging their loyalty to the party, eight of the 11 Congress MLAs “merged” the Goa Congress Legislature Party into BJP on Wednesday, taking the saffron party’sAleixo SequeiraA veteran Congressman and a former minister, Sequeira also served as the deputy speaker from July 1999 to November 1999. He was first elected in December 1994 and has been elected for four terms, once unopposed. He was appointed as working president in the run-up to the 2022 assembly polls. He is known to have had cordial relations with former CM Manohar Parrikar. Rodolfo FernandesHe is a first-time MLA and the son of former Congress legislator Victoria ‘Mummy’ Fernandes. He is a relatively new entrant in the Congress camp, joining the party just prior to the 2022 assembly elections. On denial of a party nomination in the past elections, he had contested as an independent. Rajesh FaldessaiA social activist, Faldessai is known to be close to chief minister Pramod Sawant. He is also a first-time MLA and had joined Congress just five months ahead of the assembly elections. He had a miningrelated business in the past. Read AlsoGoa: Cabinet reshuffle soon, Aleixo Sequeira to be made ministerThe Pramod Sawant 2.0 cabinet is expected to be reshuffled within just six months of its formation. After the merger of eight Congress MLAs with BJP on Wednesday, chief minister Pramod Sawant said, "There will be a cabinet reshuffle soon."Kedar NaikNaik is a long-time BJP karyakarta and is the former Reis Magos sarpanch. He joined Congress along with disgruntled BJP supporters in Saligao just a month before the elections after BJP inducted former GFP legislator Jayesh Salgaokar. Naik was earlier keen on contesting the elections on a BJP ticket. Naik won the election with the support of Michael Lobo. Sankalp AmonkarThough a first-time MLA, Amonkar is a veteran Congress worker who has been involved in the party’s organisational affairs for long. Son of a former MLA, Amonkar ran a bruising campaign against his bete noire, Milind Naik, in Mormugao in the run-up to the 2022 polls. Having started as a Youth Congress activist, Amonkar has served as the Congress vice-president in Goa and also held the post of deputy legislature party leader. Read AlsoTOI maps how the saffron hue spread over GoaIn the past three years, Congress has suffered its second bout of rebellion when 8 MLAs joined BJP on Wednesday.Delilah LoboA former Parra sarpanch, Delilah has grown under her husband, Michael Lobo’s shadow. She managed to wrest the Siolim constituency from BJP, allowing the Congress flag to flutter over the constituency. She is the first woman candidate and non-resident of Siolim to be elected from the constituency. Before she joined Congress along with Michael, she was the BJP mahila morcha vice-president.
PANAJI: The three Congress legislators who chose to remain with the party said that despite the pressure tactics and money offered by BJP, they decided to remain faithful to the mandate given to them by their constituencies. The three said they put ethics and their personal principles above the offers that BJP made. Behind the scenes there is a different story. From family pressure to intervention by priests, a lot transpired over the past few weeks. The three MLAs insisted that they chose to remain loyal to the party, but political analysts indicate that there were other considerations. "I am not a commodity to be purchased. I cannot be bought. My parents taught me ethics. The amount of pressure tactics that were used, we have resisted it," Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao said. Alemao had to slog to overcome the "outsider" tag while contesting from Cuncolim. The constituency has a sizeable Christian community, which has traditionally been loyal to Congress. Alemao's predecessor, Clafasio Dias, was trounced in February when he contested on a BJP ticket, the electorate making it clear that it was displeased with his move to join BJP along with nine other Congress MLAs in 2019. Quepem MLA Altone D'Costa faced a similar predicament. D'Costa pulled a surprise upset in February when he defeated then deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavlekar. Kavlekar had led the "merger" of the 10 Congress MLAs in 2019 and despite being backed by the organisational heft of BJP, he was voted out. BJP made several attempts to convince D'Costa to change his colours, but the hotelier-turned-politician decided to remain firm. "I stand by my values and principles which were taught to me by my parents," said D'Costa. "My voters and Congress supporters elected me as the Quepem legislator and today I can look them in the eye confidently and say that I have been loyal. I am a principled man, a god-fearing man and I am satisfied that I stood by my principles." Both Alemao and D'Costa have age on their side and given that this is their first term, the two were wary about earning the ire of their voters, who are largely Christians. Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira also remained with Congress. His name featured in discussions prior to the monsoon assembly elections when indications first emerged that Congress MLAs were planning to switch sides. When asked about his name surfacing in the initial list of Congress legislators who were about to desert the party, Ferreira said it was a diversion tactic. "In the art of war, you always pretend that you are attacking one side, while you work on the other side," Ferreira said. According to sources, Ferreira's family was the first to balk at the suggestion that he was open to joining the saffron camp. Locals in Aldona state that several priests reached out to the former advocate general and convinced him that he would be committing hara kiri if he joined BJP.
