Will urge President to ensure 'full-fledged Goa CM': Congress
Panaji, May 29: The Congress's Goa unit on Tuesday said that it will petition President Ram Nath Kovind to appoint a "full-fledged Chief Minister" in the absence of Manohar Parrikar, who is in the US for treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Congress legislative party, state Congress President Girish Chodankar said that law and order and the state administration had come to a standstill in the absence of a fully functional Chief Minister.
He said Parrikar had completed a "century" of days he has been absent from Goa.
"We have repeatedly petitioned the government and the Governor that Goa needs a functioning Chief Minister. There has been no response. We have no option now but to meet the President of India and brief him about the unconstitutionality of the Goa government without the CM," Chodankar told reporters here.
"Parrikar has completed a century as far as his absenteeism is concerned. And now the ruling BJP has the audacity to tell us that a state is functioning well without the Chief Minister. Even when a regular government officer goes on leave, he delegates his charge to another officer. Parrikar should have delegated responsibility before leaving for treatment," the Congress leader said.
Before leaving for the US, Parrikar appointed a Cabinet Advisory Committee comprising of three ministers, which the Congress claimed is "unconstitutional".
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Fan tries to die by suicide over Nikhil Kumaraswamy's bypoll loss
Bengaluru: Channapatna JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who lost the byelection to C.P. Yogeshwar of Congress, on Sunday consoled a fan who reportedly attempted to end his life and requested him not to repeat such acts.
Manjunath, fondly called Abhi, had even penned a letter before taking the dangerous step. Nikhil, who called on Manjunath at the latter’s home in Kudloor in Channapatna, expressed shock and sadness over the incident.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy reassured Manjunath, expressing his support during the difficult time. He told him that he was deeply troubled to learn of this incident and emphasised that he would stand by him. Nikhil also promised to offer assistance in any way he could, including helping him secure employment opportunities in the future, as reported by the Deccan Herald.
He also reminded Manjunath of the importance of his children’s well-being, urging him to focus on their future. “Please, look at the faces of your growing children. Even I have a three-year-old son. The children are young, let us take care of their future also. I will arrange some job opportunities for you. I might not be an MLA but this is a challenge. I will get you employed,” he said.
Nikhil told media persons that he is extremely hurt more by Manjunath’s attempt to die than by his loss in the election. “At 7:30 a.m., we got a message that in Valetoopu, Manjunath had consumed poison yesterday. In Channapatna, our workers and leaders have built this party with zeal. Let the admiration be there in your hearts but if it crosses the line, your families get hurt and we get very pained by it,” he was quoted as saying by the publication.
Speaking of his byelection loss, Nikhil reiterated that the JD(S) had got its traditional votes, but that the votes of a particular community went against the party.
“Deve Gowda gave reservation to a community. We tried our last attempt to take that community into confidence. But they conveyed to us that they do not require us. In future, we will take other communities into confidence,” he remarked in a veiled reference to Muslims.
Nikhil lost the election by a margin of 25,413 votes to Congress candidate C.P. Yogeshwar.
