Congress calls meet of Goa MLAs to discuss leadership issue

“We have the support of almost 80 per cent of the legislators who want that Digamber Kamat should be removed from the post and replaced with someone else,” Madkaikar,a former Transport Minister,said.

The meeting is likely to be held in the city,though the Congress has kept the venue under wraps. The rebellion within Congress,heading an alliance government in the politically-volatile state,began on Tuesday when a group of five MLAs met at a coffee shop here and raised the demand to dethrone Kamat,calling him “inefficient”.

Kamat,56,became Chief Minister in June 2007. The group comprised Churchill Alemao,Fransic Silveira,Agnelo Fernandes,Madkaikar and Aleixo Reginaldo

Lourenco.

The anti-Kamat camp got a shot in the arm when a group of seven non-Congress legislators,three of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP),two of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP),one of United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) and an Independent – all supporting the government – joined them. Kamat enjoys the support of 25 legislators in a 40- member House and with a dozen of them going against him,his position is under threat. A few more Congress MLAs have reportedly joined the dissident group though they are unwilling to come out in public.

The disgruntled legislators have floated the name of Assembly Speaker Pratapsinh Rane as the Chief Minister. Rane,a former Chief Minister,saidyesterday that he will abide by the Congress high command decision. “I am a party’s man and I will go by what high command wants. Groups cannot make me Chief Minister,” the Congress veteran said.

Kamat,who was in Delhi to attend a meeting called by the Union Finance Minister,returned here last night. He is yet to make a formal statement on the issue although local TV channels quoted him as “being in dark about the entire rebellion”.

Kamat joined the Congress after playing a key role in toppling the BJP Government in early 2005,and two years later he was rewarded with the post of Chief Minister. In May 2007 Assembly polls,Congress emerged the single largest party winning 16 seats.