NCP to withdraw support from Goa Govt

In a major development, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has given consent to withdraw support from the Congress led Goa Government. The final decision will however be taken in a high level meeting scheduled for Wednesday in Delhi.

NCP legislator Francisco Pacheco (Mickky), who is in Delhi for the last two days said that the state party unit met Pawar to discuss the party?s role in Goa cabinet. ?Pawar has agreed to withdraw support from the Goa government and final decision will be taken only tomorrow,? he told reporters in a telephonic conversation from Delhi.

The crucial round of talks will be held at 11am in Delhi tomorrow. NCP general secretary Praful Patel is likely to join them at their scheduled meeting.

Pacheco, also a former tourism minister and senior state NCP leaders are camping in Delhi for the last two days after they were summoned by Pawar.

?The meeting was fruitful. Things are working in the right direction and hence, we are asked to stay back in Delhi for another round of talks tomorrow (Wednesday),? Pacheco said Tuesday morning.

The Delhi trip comes a week after the state NCP executive threatened to quit demanding Pacheco?s induction in the cabinet and warned of mass resignation.

Two months back, NCP had asked Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to drop two of the NCP ministers ? Revenue minister Jose Philip D?Souza and Tourism Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar – to induct Pacheco in the cabinet.

Both the ministers were not dropped by the CM triggering discontent among the NCP cadre in Goa.

NCP?s national leaders including A P Sangma, Nivedita Mane and from Goa NCP, Pacheco, state general secretaries Venkatesh Moni, Prakash Fadte, secretaries Irwin Soares, Anil Jolapure and senior leader Lyndon Monteiro were present for the meeting in Delhi.