Panaji, Jun 29 (IANS): Launching scathing attack on the BJP government in Goa over failure to hold panchayat elections on time, Congress state president Amit Patkar on Wednesday said that Goa has become a 'banana republic' as the government doesn't know what it is doing or what it wants (to do).

"It's a sad state of affairs. The government is hoodwinking people. It has failed on all fronts and has given very bad governance. The government should work for the people and deliver good governance. Today the situation is that in every matter people have to approach the court," Patkar said.

The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday directed the state government to complete the entire process of panchayat elections within 45 days, after hearing two petitions. As the term of the elected members of the panchayat expired on June 19, the government has appointed administrators for all the 186 panchayats in the state.

"The High Court judgment has exposed the BJP government for failing to hold elections and give justice to OBCs of Goa. This government had a period of one year to carry out the process of triple test (for OBC reservation). But BJP has done nothing in this regard," Patkar said.

"Then why do we need this government? It has failed in governance. It is a shame that the government itself doesn't know what it wants. They have gone on changing their stands on panchayat elections. Goa has become a 'banana republic', they don't know what they are doing or what they want. It's a sad state of affairs," he said.

"In 2017, panchayat elections were held on June 11, in monsoon only. This government has failed, they have done injustice to the OBCs. They had more than one year. But they did nothing," He reiterated.