Daijiworld Media Network - Goa (MB)
Exclusive Analysis by special correspondent
Pics Rajtilak Naik
Panaji, Jul 28: Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat appears to be paying the price for his deeds just two years after he bitterly betrayed Manohar Parrikar-led BJP government alleging ``suffocation.'' Kamat was then deputy chief minister and a senior face in the Parrikar government.
BJP leader Manohar Parrikar’s successful stint was cut short in a political coup that was led by Atanasio Monserratte in 2005. Parrikar would have managed to save his chair, if not Kamat, who was then second in command in BJP government, switched over the sides.
Leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar on his way to the Raj Bhavan to meet the governor
Parrikar briefing the media outside the Raj Bhavan at Dona Paula, Panaji soon after his meeting with the governor
Congress MLA Victoria Fernandes submitting the copy of her resignation to the legislature secretary Dhruvkumar at the Assembly complex at Porvorim
Victoria Fernandes briefing the media after she submiited her resignation
Parrikar (centre) during a press conference after he had a meeting with the governor in Raj Bhavan
The history has repeated itself two years later when the same Monserratte is leading the coup against Kamat and,this time, Parrikar is getting all the muscles to avenge the 2005 episode.
Also, it was the same Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party (MGP) which had fuelled the coup against Parrikar. And this time, MGP is again in action, against Kamat.
Goa, the tiny state which has seen 19 chief ministers since its liberation from Portuguese rule in 1961, is not novice for the political instability and stories of betrayals.
The state which got its statehood in 1987 also inherited the element of instability from that year onwards. Including Pratapsingh Rane, none of the chief ministers since then has been able to complete their tenure of five years.
The state saw the lowest ebb in the year 1994 when Ravi Naik, the current home minister, was made chief minister only for seven days before being replaced by Dr Wilfred D’Souza.
Incidently, Goa had all its chief ministers completing the full tenure, when it was an union territory with 30 constituencies, of these two constituencies were from Daman and Diu.
The state has witnessed the most odd political equations and unexpected moves by the politicians once the constituencies were increased to 40 after the statehood. At times, the history has repeated and tables are turned as they are happening now for Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat.
Since 1987, Pratapsingh Rane, now the speaker of legislative assembly, has served most of the years. He is four time chief minister serving for more than a decade, put together all his years.
Before statehood, Rane had a successful undisturbed chief ministerial spat for almost 17 years, the longest serving tenure of any chief minister in goa.
The state which was liberated from Portuguese rule in the year 1961 had military governor K P Kandeth and T Shivashankar till 1963 when the first general election was held in the state electing Dayanand Bandodkar as the chief minister.
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party, Bandodkar’s baby, ruled the state till August 12, 1973 when he passed away. His daughter Shashikala Kakodkar took over the reins of the state till 1979. All this time, the MGP ruled the state.
The 1980 election saw regional party being replaced by Indian National Congress swearing in young and dynamic leader Pratapsingh Rane as the chief minister. He continued for next 17 years before Goa got into the instability mode.
The first shortest serving chief minister was Churchill Alemao, who served the state for only 17 days before resigning on his own to let Luis Proto Barbosa take over the chair.
Barbosa lasted only eight months. Ravi Naik replaced him in a political changeover. Naik served for two years.
Dr Wilfred D’Souza was installed in the chair for next one year between 1993 to April 1994. In the year 1994, Naik hatching a toppling game managed to grab the chair, which he could stick to for only seven days before being disqualified by the court.
Since then Pratapsingh Rane, Dr Wilfred D’Souza, Luizinho Faleiro, Fransisco Sardinha, Manohar Parrikar and now Digamber Kamat became chief ministers heading different political combinations.
Did the voters of Goa deserve all this?