BJP to decide on Friday when to stake claim to form govt in Goa

Comfortably placed to retain power in Goa, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said it will take a decision on staking claim to form the next government in the state after a meeting of its newly elected MLAs on Friday.

Earlier in the day, a senior party leader had said, the BJP, which emerged as the single largest party winning 20 seats in the 40-member Assembly, will meet Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai and stake claim to form government on Thursday evening.

The BJP has said it has received letters of support from the Maharshtrawadi Gomantak Party (2 seats) and three Independent MLAs, enabling the ruling party to cross the simple majority mark of 21.


BJP's Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis said a decision on staking claim to form the government will be taken on Friday after a meeting of the party's legislature wing.

He made the remarks at a press conference in the presence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Goa BJP president Sadanand Tanavade, Union Minister Shripad Naik and other party leaders.

Fadnavis said the MGP has formally given a letter to the BJP extending its support to the party in government formation.

"Both the winning candidates of the MGP will support the BJP along with the three Independent MLAs," he said. He said the party's central parliamentary board will meet in New Delhi late on Thursday to discuss the results of all the states, where polls were held in February-March.

“The committee will designate an observer for Goa, who will arrive here tomorrow to participate in the legislature party wing meeting,” Fadnavis said.

After the meeting, the party will decide the date to meet the Governor and stake claim for government formation, the former Maharashtra CM said. Fadanavis said that BJP's central leadership will be participating in the swearing in ceremonies of all the four states due to which the dates would be decided accordingly.