After landslide victories in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to take the tally to four, against the Congress’ one in Punjab, with government formations in Goa and Manipur, where the party did not get clear mandates. The Congress alleged the BJP was doing horse trading in the two states.
The BJP on Sunday staked claim to form the government in Goa, where it won 13 of the 40 seats. “We are staking claim to form the government... we have support of more than 21 legislators, which is required to form the government,” BJP state unit chief Vinay Tendulkar said.
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was appointed the new chief minister. Parrikar met Goa Governor Mridula Sinha with letters of support from smaller parties, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party, to stake claim to form the government.
Earlier in the day, BJP legislators passed a resolution demanding that Parrikar be made chief minister. The MGP, which has three MLAs, had said it would support the BJP only if Parrikar were to lead it.
Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said Parrikar would quit the defence portfolio before taking oath.
Parrikar was Goa chief minister before moving to the Centre in November 2014. Until then, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had the additional charge of the defence portfolio. Parrikar’s successor, Laxmikant Parsekar, never a popular choice among his legislators and allies like the MGP, lost his seat. In Imphal, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said his party had staked claim to form the government. Later in the day, BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed support from a Congress legislator and the lone Trinamool Congress legislator. He said the BJP now had 32 MLAs.
The BJP in Manipur had won 21 of the 60 seats. It has found support from the National People’s Party (NPP), which has four MLAs, and Lok Janshakti Party’s (LJP)’s lone MLA. These two parties are the constituents of the NDA at the Centre. Madhav said the BJP had an “understanding” with another NDA partner, the Naga People’s Front, which had won four seats. Madhav said on Sunday the NPF had issued a press statement wherein it said it was willing to form a non-Congress government in Manipur.
The NPP’s Conrad Sangma said that the popular verdict was for a change in Manipur. He said the verdict was against the Congress government. In New Delhi, the BJP parliamentary board appointed observers for the four states — Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Goa — to assess the views of legislators and submit their report to Shah, who will take the final decision. The board also passed a resolution to laud the leadership of Modi and the contribution of the BJP chief in the party’s electoral wins.
 "Assembly elections 2017: BJP set to make it 4-1, to form govt in Goa, Manipur, UP and Uttarakhand")
