Panaji: A special session of the Goa Assembly, convened for the floor test of the two-day old BJP-led government in the coastal State, began here today.
Governor Mridula Sinha has convened the special session at 11.30 am. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said he will prove his majority in the House.
The House discussed a condolence motion for Manohar Parrikar, who died Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer. Sawant Tuesday said his government had sought a floor test on Wednesday to prove its strength in the Assembly.
The BJP-led government in the State claims support of 21 MLAs – 12 from the BJP, three each of allies Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independents.
The strength of the 40-member House has been reduced to 36 due to the death of chief minister Manohar Parrikar, BJP MLA Francis D’Souza and resignations of two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte.
The Congress is the single largest party in the state with 14 MLAs. There is also an NCP legislator in the House. Sawant, 45, was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Goa just before 2 am Tuesday, after hectic parleys between the BJP and its allies to put a new government in place in the State.