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How Congress in Goa snatched defeat from the jaws of victory

Published

9 years ago

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Manohar Parrikar has taken oath as Goa CM and will face a floor test on March 16

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Though they got 17 seats and was the single largest party, the BJP which secured only 13 had by Sunday sewn up deals with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (3) and Goa Forward Party (3) and some independents to present to the governor a list of 22 legislators

~By Sujit Bhar[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The Goa situation has come to a critical point. As Governor Mridula Sinha called the BJP to form government—Chief Minister designate Manohar Parrikar had already resigned from his post at Defence Minister and taken oath as chief minister on March 14—Congress took time to realise that the BJP was actually the party that finished second at the hustings in the state. While the Congress got 17 seats, BJP managed 13.

Neither had the magic number of 21 to claim independent hold of the 40-member assembly of the state. By Sunday, and way before the Congress could get out of their slumber and move, the BJP had sewn up deals with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party or MGP (3) and Goa Forward Party (3) and some independents (3 independents have won) to present to the governor a list of 22. While the governor should have traditionally called the largest party to show its strength, this quick response of the BJP (and no official claim by the Congress) had her in a bind. She called the BJP to form government and asked it to prove its strength on the floor of the assembly in 15 days.

That got the Congress’ goat. They rushed to the Supreme Court and demanded justice. The court is on vacation, but considering the urgency of the situation, the Chief Justice of India, JS Khehar, called a three-judge bench—others on the bench being Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R K Agrawal—to handle the case. The Supreme Court agreed that the floor test will have to be held on March 15 itself—the Congress had argued that the 15-day window was too large, fearing rampant “horse-trading”—but then came down heavily on the Congress. The court also refused to stop the oath-taking by Parrikar.

Senior Congress lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi petitioned as follows: “Election results were known by 11th evening. INC got the majority seats of 17 seats. On 12th Congress selected the CM but by then, on 12th evening, BJP’s Mr Parrikar goes to governor and same day he was appointed by governor as CM of Goa.”

His claim: “Extravagant discretion exercised by governor is not allowed as per Constitution. The governor should not have appointed without consulting the single largest party. Democracy is part of basic structure. We have now 21 members supporting the Congress party.
We had written to the governor that we will form the government.
The governor should have called us before appointing the CM.”

That was when the CJI interjected, saying: “You saw them saying they have the majority. But you never said you have the majority nor have you mentioned in this petition. You have not brought the affidavits of these people who are with you. You failed to show that the people who are mentioned in their list are with you.”
The court said: “If you had the numbers, you would have held a dharna at the Governor’s house.”

As counsel Singvi submitted that “It’s constitutionally and legally wrong,” Justice Gogoi replied: “Healthy constitutional practice should be followed, not the just the convention of calling the largest party.”

With things not so bright, Singhvi pleaded: “How can you give a window of 15 days to second largest party? Let there be a floor test today (March 14) or tomorrow.”

The Chief Justice said: “You could have demolished their case in 30 seconds. You could have just shown that they are with you. You are putting us also in the position of the governor. You have not shown that three people are with you.”

Singhvi admitted the lapse. He said: “I made a mistake by not showing that I agree. Our second prayer is to hold the floor test. What is the difficulty in holding the floor test today or tomorrow?”

Finally, the court acceded to his request and issued the order, the relevant section of which is as follows: “We … hereby direct, that all pre-requisite formalities for holding a floor test, including the formalities required to be completed by the Election Commission, be completed by 15.03.2017. We request the Governor of the State of Goa to ensure, that a floor test is held on 16.03.2017, and the only agenda for the day would be, the holding of a floor test to determine whether the Chief Minister administered the oath of office, has support of the majority. The floor test shall be held on 16.03.2017, as early as possible, but surely during the course of the same day.”

It’s not over

The Supreme Court may have acceded to the plea and ordered a floor test on Thursday. However, that is definitely not the end of the problems for Congress.

While Congress leader P Chidambaram tweeted: “The BJP is stealing elections in Goa, Manipur (in Manipur, too, the BJP has been invited to form government). Party that comes second has no right to form government,” Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is in charge of Goa affairs shot back: “The Congress was busy in Goa with five to six candidates claiming leadership. So they did not have time to discuss with alliance partners.”

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has reportedly said: “Governor in Goa had only one claim of 21 MLAs out of 40 with Parrikarji as leader. 17 MLAs of Congress did not even make a claim.”

The issue has boiled over to the Congress MLAs—many of them first-timers—who are reportedly furious that despite having the numbers, they could not stake claim. They were surprised and frustrated that the party was not able to get the support just four legislators from other parties to show a minimum of 21.

A visibly frustrated Jennifer Monserrate, an elected Congress MLA from Taleigao (North Goa) was reportedly heard saying: “It is miserable and horrible… people trusted the Congress and voted for us… we get a clear 17 seats and we still couldn’t manage to form government… we are the laughing stock.”

This is the level of degeneration and decadence that the Grand Old Party seems to have gone into. The rheumatic behaviour is so apparent that the party today can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

6 hours ago

on

September 6, 2026

By

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

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India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

21 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

Manohar Lal Khattar

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

  • India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
  • Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
  • The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
  • India is currently 216 km behind the US.
  • China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
  • India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

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PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, revisits 2013 glass full speech

PM Narendra Modi returned to SRCC after 13 years for its centenary celebrations, revisiting themes from his landmark 2013 address.

Published

21 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his previous visit to the institution as Gujarat chief minister. 

His latest visit came as SRCC marked its centenary celebrations. Modi’s 2013 address at the college had attracted significant attention as he spoke about India’s youth, governance and the country’s demographic potential.

In 2013, Modi was Gujarat chief minister and had not yet been named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. He returned to the same campus this year as Prime Minister, having completed 12 years as Prime Minister and serving his third consecutive term. 

What PM Modi said at SRCC in 2013

The 2013 lecture was titled Emerging Business Models in the Global Scenario. The address also covered governance and India’s young population.

He described India’s youth as a source of national strength rather than simply a group of new-age voters. He also highlighted India’s demographic advantage and argued that the country needed to make better use of its young population.

One of the notable moments from the speech involved a glass of water.  Modi contrasted the conventional descriptions of a glass as half full or half empty and said he viewed it as full, with half containing water and the other half air.

The speech also included his remarks on technology and young Indians. Referring to an anecdote from a visit to Taiwan, Modi used the phrase “mouse-charmers” to describe Indians using computers and suggested that young Indians had the ability to influence the world through technology.

‘Minimum government, maximum governance’

Modi’s 2013 address also touched on governance. He spoke about the role of government and the need for better governance.

He also spoke about India’s potential in the 21st century. 

Modi returns as PM for SRCC centenary

The September 5 visit coincided with Teachers’ Day and SRCC’s 100th anniversary. The Prime Minister’s Office had announced that Modi would participate in the college’s centenary celebrations and address the gathering. SRCC was established in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram.

Earlier this year, Modi also met the SRCC governing body at his residence in April in connection with the college’s centenary celebrations and released a commemorative postage stamp marking the occasion. 

The return to SRCC came 13 years after his 2013 appearance at the college, when he addressed students as Gujarat chief minister.

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