Panaji- The Congress legislature party and other opposition MLAs on Saturday unanimously proposed former Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeria as a consensus candidate for the upcoming elections for the Speaker of the state legislative assembly.
Sequeira’s candidature was unanimously approved by the 11-member Congress legislature party, even as two Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, as well as other opposition MLAs supported the decision, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat told reporters on Saturday.
“There was unanimity among opposition MLAs that Aleixo Sequeira should be our candidate for the Speaker’s post,” Kamat said, after a meeting of the Opposition MLAs ahead of the two-day session of the Goa legislative assembly beginning March 29.
“One issue which was decided was I will fight the Speaker’s election. They have proposed my name,” Sequeira himself said.
The BJP has 20 MLAs in the 40-member state legislative assembly and enjoys the support of five other MLAs, including three independents and a two-member Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party legislature unit.
Mathematically, Sequeira seems to have an impossible task ahead of him, with just 15 MLAs on his side.
Sequeira has formerly served as an Environment Minister and a deputy Speaker in the state assembly. The BJP has not finalised its candidate for the Speaker’s post yet.
The Speaker’s election is scheduled to be held on March 29 and will be conducted by pro-tem Speaker BJP MLA Ganesh Gaonkar.
–IANS
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