PANAJI, NOV 22: Speaker of the Goa Assembly and former chief minister Pratapsinh Rane holds the key to the fate of Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro's government. On Monday Rane officially notified separate seating arrangements for the eleven breakaway MLAs of the Fransisco Sardinha group of the Congress party. The House reassembles on Wednesday when Faleiro is scheduled to take a vote of confidence as directed by Governor Lt Gen (retd) JFR Jacob.However, the Speaker is playing his cards close to his chest over officially recognizing the split in the Congress party. Rane told newsmen here that some formalities need to be completed before the split can be recognized. He has also reserved his decision on the application made by the chief minister's camp that five of the eleven MLAs who were expelled from the Congress be treated as unattached members and prevented from voting on Faleiro's confidence vote.Shortly after the split in the Congress party, Faleiro informed that rebel leader Fransisco Sardinha andhis supporters, Dayanand Narvekar, Subash Shirodkar, Somnath Zuwarkar and former deputy speaker Alexio Sequiera had already been expelled. The chief minister is holding the threat of disqualification under the anti-defection law against the other six MLAs who are with Fransisco Sardinha.On Monday notices were issued to all the Congress legislators barring the five expelled members asking them to be present at the Congress Legislative Party meeting at the CM's residence. Though the meeting was scheduled for 10.30 am, it got underway only late in the afternoon after senior Congress leader, Ramesh Chennithala arrived in Goa.AICC general secretary Govindrao Adik who is monitoring the situation told the newsmen that he was still hopeful of reuniting all the Congressmen in the state.Former chief minister Wilfred D'Souza now with the Nationalist Congress Party admitted to receiving feelers from the Congress camp. "But at this moment we are backing Fransisco Sardinha for chief minister," D'Souza said.Sources say Faleiro has been advised to resign and pave way for a compromise candidate.Meanwhile, BJP leaders from Goa left for New Delhi to discuss the possibilities of joining the Fransisco Sardinha-led coalition government. "We are sure of getting the green signal," leader of the opposition Manohar Parrikar told newsmen before embarking for Delhi.With political activity hotting up leaders and legislators from both camps have been isolated. Mobile phones of every MLA including Sardinha have been switched off. Legislators in the government side have been isolated in the chief minister's official residence at Altinho, Panaji.
