Panaji, March 16 (PTI): The Manohar Parrikar government today proved its majority on the floor of the Goa Assembly by winning the trust vote with the support of 22 legislators in the 40-member House.
The Congress, the single-largest party with 17 MLAs, suffered a jolt as its legislator Viswajit Rane resigned the membership of the Assembly after refusing to vote against the trust motion.
Viswajit, the son of Congress veteran and former chief minister Pratap Sinh Rane, said he would also quit the party.
The Congress, which accused the BJP of horse-trading and other unfair means to retain power, could mobilise only 16 votes against the government.
Parrikar said the Congress never had the numbers. He said the Congress created a "hype" over the BJP's bid to form the government because there was a demand for Digvijaya Singh to step down as the AICC general secretary in charge of the state.
"We have proved to the people of India that we have the support of 22 on the floor of the House, debunking Digvijaya's claim that we don't have the numbers," he told reporters.
Taking a dig at Digvijaya, Parrikar said: "Right from the beginning, the Congress did not have the numbers and it was only a hype created by them possibly because there was a demand that Digvijaya should step down as general secretary of the party, being the desk-in-charge of Goa. It happens when you come to Goa only to enjoy, not to work."
Parrikar rubbished the Congress's charge of horse-trading as "wild allegations".
He proved his majority with 12 legislators from the BJP, three from the Goa Forward Party, three from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, three Independents and one from the NCP.
Viswajit said the Congress had "betrayed the trust of Goa by not forming the government despite people giving them the clear mandate".
He said he would re-contest from Valpoi but refused to say which party he would join.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi charged the BJP with "stealing" the mandate of the people in Goa and Manipur and forming the government by "using money power".
