Parrikar resigns as Defence Minister, likely to be Goa CM

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party, whose support allowed the BJP to stake claim to form government, are being rewarded with cabinet posts, India Today has learnt.

After enough backdoor negotiations, it was the BJP that pulled a coup and cracked the electoral math.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar could be back in Goa, his home state, heading a coalition government.

In an informal show of strength before Governor Najma Heptulla, the BJP, led by its north east in-charge Ram Madhav and Himanta Biswa Sarma, paraded 32 MLAs supporting the party.

Congress got 28 of the 60 seats in the State Assembly while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which couldnt win a single seat in 2012 Assembly elections, put up a great performance to pick up 21 seats this time.

In the hill state, it is being said that it was the Congress that ensured its own defeat, with party cadres itching to teach Harish Rawat a lesson. “BJP stealing elections in Goa and Manipur”, said Chidambaram on his official Twitter account.

Madhav said that on Saturday the NPF had issued a press statement saying it was willing to form a non-Congress government in Manipur.

Earlier in the day, a meeting of Goa’s new BJP legislators had passed a unanimous resolution urging party chief Amit Shah to nominate Parrikar as leader of the legislature party.

“The resolution is very clear”.

Digvijay had said the Congress has the numbers to form government, but the BJP was indulged in “horse-trading” to reach the majority mark. The election threw up a hung verdict with none of the parties being able to cross the magic figure of 31.

That was why Parrikar resigned as Union defence minister, leaving a gaping and significant hole in the Union Cabinet.

He explained that if Parrikar headed the Goa government, the Centre would continue funding the development projects under way in the state. This law was changed later making it mandatory for the MLA to resign the membership of the assembly to join another party.

This came after the BJP announced it is all set to form government in Goa and Manipur, claiming it has the support of more legislators. Parsekar was seen as a weak leader not just in Goa, but also within the party, with speculations doing the rounds that Parrikar holds the remote control.

Parrikar will take oath as Goa Chief Minister on Tuesday. I like Goan food.