Ministers meeting Parrikar in Delhi a 'political drama': Cong

The Congress in Goa Friday said state Cabinet ministers meeting ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in a Delhi hospital was nothing but a "political drama" enacted to show the BJP-led government exists and is functioning.

Parrikar (62), undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment in New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), held meetings Friday with party leaders as well as coalition allies to discuss ways to ensure his government functions normally.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar said the CM meeting his ministers in New Delhi was an attempt to prove that "the government is functioning".

Besides meeting ministers from allies, Parrikar also held parleys with members of the Goa BJP Core Committee.

"The Parrikar-led government is facing criticism from all the quarters, including their own partymen, for failing to deliver.

"The continued presence of CM in Delhi has crippled the state administration without alternate arrangements," he said.

Chodankar said there is a virtual pause on the entire governance in Goa since more than nine months.

He said it is unfortunate that Cabinet ministers had to travel all the way to Delhi to hold a meeting with the chief minister.

The meeting was a "political drama", the Goa Congress president said.

"What is painful is that there is no certainty as till when such exercise of Delhi visit will continue and the people of Goa will continue to suffer," he added.

Chodankar said the Congress still feels Governor Mridula Sinha should listen to the "voice of the people of Goa and opposition parties and allow us to prove our numbers on the floor of the House".

Ministers Vijay Sardesai (Goa Foward Party), Sudin Dhavalikar (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party), Rohan Khaunte and Govind Gawade (both Independent MLAs) were among those who met Parrikar. BJP ministers Vishwajit Rane and Nilesh Cabral - were also present at the meeting.

In the 40-member state assembly, the Parrikar-led government has the support of 23 MLAs.

These comprise 14 BJP MLAs, three each from the Goa Foward Party and MGP as well as three Independents.

The opposition Congress is the single largest party in the Goa assembly with 16 MLAs.