The opposition's plans to corner the government didn't materialise as it failed to present a united front in the two-day Assembly session.
Photo Credits: Narayan Pissurlenkar
United Opposition? Something is amiss
They may have been outnumbered but in the past couple of sessions, the seven-MLA Opposition in the Goa legislative assembly had managed to put up a united front and bring some life to the proceedings.
Not this time though, when the House assembled for the two-day winter session on Thursday and Friday.
On day one when Governor P S Shreedharan Pillai came to address the House, the Opposition had decided to protest the short duration of the session and Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao led the charge seeking to draw the guv's attention when he said that in the latter's home State of Kerala, the legislature met for an average of 50-odd days in a year whereas in Goa it was less than half of it.
However, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar would not have any of it and shut Alemao out which is when the Opposition went into disarray not knowing how to react -- to walk out or not. They did eventually walk out but not all of them. The Goa Forward Party (GFP) MLA Vijai Sardesai stayed put in his place but remained standing throughout the 80-minute Gov's address holding two placards over his head with slogans to the effect that the government was running away from accountability on the jobs-for-cash and land-grab scams by curtailing the session.
Meanwhile, the other Opposition MLAs who had walked out but returned to the House mid-way through the Governor's address, except for Alemao and Quepem MLA Altone D'Costa.
Clearly, something is amiss in the United Opposition.
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Ravi Naik's gem
Known for his witty Konkani one-liners, Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, a seven-term MLA, came up with yet another gem when the House was engaged in intense debate over the private member's resolution moved by Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar seeking a new provision in the law to expedite mundkarial cases.
At least twice during the discussion on Arolkar's resolution, a seemingly annoyed Naik interjected to say that what was being spoken by members participating in the debate was incongruent with the Mundkar law.
Unable to hold his patience -- over a number of fallacies about the mundkar law being uttered during the discussion -- any longer, Naik eventually stood up, sought the permission of the Speaker, and this is what he said: "Speaker Sir, I have a request. Please give one copy each of The Goa, Daman and Diu Mundkars (Protection from Eviction) Act, 1975, to each of the 40 members and ask them to read it."
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Vijai-Venzy shadow-boxing
What began on January 16, the Opinion Poll Day (or Asmitai Diwas) continued, albeit in taunts, on the floor of the House during the discussion on the supplementary demands for grants on Friday.
GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai and AAP MLA Venzy Viegas shadow-boxing without naming each other.
In an obvious reference to Viegas' comment on Opinion Poll day during the inauguration of the Colva STP in his Benaulim constituency, Vijai in his submissions during the supplementary demands debate said he would not equate CM Pramod Sawant to former CM Dayanand Bandodkar.
“I will not call you Bhausaheb Bandodkar. I don’t want to make you happy. I think even Dhavalikar will agree with me,” Sardesai said.
When his turn came to speak, Viegas said he did not have to fear to speak out his mind and say that like Bandodkar's push to development in Opposition-represented constituencies, Sawant was also clearing work in their constituencies.
“I don’t have a house on a hillock or a bandh. I don’t take advantage of schemes,” Viegas said in an obvious taunt at Sardesai, who has faced criticism over his residence built on a paddy field bundh and a farmhouse he owns in Molcornem village.
