Sonia reins in Falerio in Goa

The stability of the three-day old government is already in question with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi overruling the chief minister in the allocation of portfolios. “Sonia Gandhi wants the chief minister to keep Home, Finance and Generaladministration with himself,” said All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer Govindrao Adhik. He pointed out that Faleiro wanted to allocate all portfolios, keeping nothing for himself. This, he said was opposed by Sonia Gandhi.

This, point out political observers, is bound to antagonise Deputy Chief Minister Dayanand Narvekar, who has been publicly demanding the Finance portfolio. Narvekar who makes no secret of his political ambitions was instrumental in toppling the Congress government headed by Pratapsinh Rane four months ago. After joining hands with Wilfred D’Souza to form the Goa Rajiv Congress he toppled the coalition government last week when he returned to the Congress.

Meanwhile, questions are being asked about the validity of the oath taken by another minister, Deu Mandrekar. Throughout the political crisis last week, Mandrekar was rushed from place to place from his hospital bed. Today, a visibly ill Mandrekar was brought before Governor J F R Jacob to take his oath of office. As abemused Governor looked on, Mandrekar had to be helped take the oath.

Later, Goa Chief Secretary C S Sharma refused to confirm the validity of the oath taking. “No comments,” he told press reporters.

Mandrekar’s health proved to be a major dilemma for the governor when Luizinho Faleiro had to prove his majority last week. The rival group insisted that Mandrekar’s health put a question mark on the stability of the government.

Earlier, Faleiro won the trust vote after a three-hour debate marked by acrimonious scenes with members of the Wilfred D’Souza camp targeting Faleiro, Narvekar and other Congress party legislators.