Friday, March 4 2005 13:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Panaji: Ahead of the crucial trial of strength in Goa, Governor S C Jamir has made it clear that the protem Speaker should only conduct the business of motion of the vote of confidence to be moved by Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane.

"Only following business be considered and dealt with by the House, in its session summoned by him (the Governor) to be held at 2:30 hrs (IST) on March 4 - motion seeking vote of confidence by Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane," secretary to Jamir said in a letter written to former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today (Mar 4, 2005).

Parrikar, in a letter to the Governor, had questioned the jurisdiction of a protem Speaker on entertaining any disqualification petitions, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said.

Sardinha was to hear the disqualification petition moved by a Congress MLA against United Goan Democratic Party (UGDP) legislator Mathany Saldanha.

Ruling Congress has the support of 16 members, excluding protem Speaker Sardinha, in a House with an effective strength of 34 while Opposition BJP has 17 MLAs behind it.

If Saldanha is disqualified or barred from voting, it would mean the strength of BJP benches is reduced to 16 and at par with Congress and Sardinha belonging to Congress can see the ruling party through with his casting vote.

Independent MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, who was disqualified by former Speaker Vishwas Satarkar, has approached Sardinha for certified copies of the order of his disqualification and is likely to approach the High Court for relief.