3 min readNew DelhiMar 13, 2017 09:04 AM IST
First published on: Mar 13, 2017 at 07:42 AM IST
“Money Power has won over People’s Power. I apologise to the People of Goa as we couldn’t muster the support to form the Govt,” Digvijaya Singh tweeted.
A day after the BJP pulled the rug from under the Congress’ feet in Manipur and Goa, senior Congress leader Dijvijaya Singh, who was overseeing the party’s affairs in Goa, on Monday said he apologises to the people of Goa for the party’s inability to form a government in the state. “Money Power has won over People’s Power. I apologise to the People of Goa as we couldn’t muster the support to form the Govt,” he tweeted. The Congress General Secretary also said that they would continue to resist communal forces in Goa. “But our struggle against Communal Forces and Money Power Politics in Goa shall continue,” he wrote.
On Sunday night, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha invited the BJP to form the next government in the state. This was possible only after extensive negotiations between the BJP camp and smaller parties culminated with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar returning as chief minister of Goa. Parrikar would resign as defence minister as soon as the date for swearing-in is declared.
Former union minister P Chidambaram also took to Twitter and accused the BJP of “stealing elections”. “A party that comes second has no right to form the Government. BJP stealing elections in Goa and Manipur,” he said in his tweet.
The Congress accused the BJP of “murdering” democracy in Goa and called Parrikar the “villain behind what has transpired”. Earlier on Sunday, Digvijaya had also alleged that BJP was indulging in unfair means to stake claim to form government in the state. “The BJP has been involved in horse-trading, promising sums, ministries, corporations and SUVs to the non-BJP MLAs to get their support,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The Congress also slammed the BJP for trying to form the government despite not having encouraging numbers and vote share. “I have never seen in any other state where a political party which has been rejected outright, where the CM has lost, six ministers have lost, yet they are staking claim to form the government,” Digvijaya had told reporters in Panaji. He had also expressed surprise over the “hunger for power” of Manohar Parrikar and BJP.
Despite emerging as the largest party in the state after clinching 17 out of the 40 seats, the party lost in the race to form a government. The BJP which had won 13 constituencies in the small coastal state, managed to reach the magic number of 21 to form a government with the help of three MGP MLAs, three Goa Forward MLAs and two Independents.
“Money Power has won over People’s Power. I apologise to the People of Goa as we couldn’t muster the support to form the Govt,” Digvijaya Singh tweeted.
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