Morning after, Cong gets that sinking feeling

Alex Sequirra, a senior Congress MLA, admitted that there was serious discontent among the party MLAs over the formation of the Cabinet. He, however, said: ‘‘I’m happy that I’m not in the ministry. I don’t want to be a junior to juniors.’’ He was referring to Philipe Neri Rodrigues, an Independent MLA who became the deputy chief minister.

The intense infighting puts a question mark on the longevity of the government. Chief Minister Rane has now decided not to allocate portfolios to his team to prevent further damage to his fragile coalition. Sources say he is likely to seek the intervention of the high command to rein in his colleagues. Still, seasoned politicians in Goa are not very optimistic. ‘‘I don’t think it will last more than two days,’’ said a senior Congress leader.

Bitter infighting by MLAs today necessitated the party high command’s intervention, according to sources. Governor S C Jamir had to delay the swearing-in of the new cabinet ministers by an hour as Rane could not decide who to include and who to keep out.

In the end, Rane got the Governor’s office to despatch a hurried appointment order inducting Luizinho Faleiro and Dayanand Narvekar into his team.

In all, four non-Congress ministers—Dr Wilfred De Souza from the Nationalist Congress Party, Sudhin Dhavalikar from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and two BJP rebels Isidore Fernandes and Pandurang Madkaikar—were inducted into the cabinet. A third rebel Mickey Pachecho, who was desperate to get in, was kept out since a section of the party is opposed to him.

Atanasio Monserrate, another BJP rebel, said he would not join the cabinet till his re-election.

Last night, Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane of the Congress and his Deputy Philipe Neri Rodrigues, an independent, were sworn in.