The Goa Congress wrote a letter to the Governor Mridula Sinha to staked claim to form government in the state. This comes following the death of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA.
Former Goa deputy chief minister and BJP lawmaker Francis D’Souza died in February. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital after a cancer surgery in the United States.
Congress said the BJP MLA’s death has brought down the party’s majority in the Goa assembly. The Congress in the letter said to the Governor that it is the single largest party in the House now.
After the assembly elections in Goa last year, the Congress was the single largest party with 17 seats. But three of Congress MLAs moved to the BJP, who formed the government in the state.
The Congress party’s move comes at a time when the nation goes to would decide it’s 17th Lok Sabha.
The Congress currently have 14 MLAs, while the BJP have 13 MLAs. Three MLAs each of the Goa Forward Party, MGP and an Independent and the lone NCP legislator are supporting the BJP.
The bypoll results of three assembly seats will be held in Goa, and they would be key to determine the government formation in the state.