Presidential poll
PANAJI, July 14: Legislators and MPs of the BJP and its supporting parties in Goa on Thursday attended a meeting with the National Democratic Alliance’s nominee Droupadi Murmu for the Presidential election.
However, the opposition Congress took a dim view of the Goa Assembly Speaker’s decision to adjourn the ongoing monsoon session for some time during the day apparently to allow the lawmakers to meet Murmu.
Earlier in the day, Murmu arrived in Goa to seek support of the lawmakers for her candidature for the July 18 Presidential poll.
Union minister and North Goa MP Shripad Naik, Rajya Sabha member Vinay Tendulkar and state BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade received Murmu at the Dabolim airport, located about 35 km from the state capital Panaji.
Murmu then proceeded to a hotel in Panaji where she met the MLAs and MPs.
All 20 MLAs of the BJP in the 40-member Goa Assembly, two of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), three independent legislators, who are supporting the ruling party, and MPs Naik and Tendulkar attended the meeting.
The Opposition has fielded former Union minister Yashwant Sinha against Murmu, who hails from a tribal community and earlier served as the governor of Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar adjourned the House session before the lunch break till 2.30 pm while stating that Presidential election candidate Droupadi Murmu was in the state.
But, the opposition members dubbed such a move as “murder of democracy”.
“Droupadi Murmu is just a candidate for the Presidential poll. She is not the President of India that the House has to be adjourned for her meeting,” Deputy Leader of Opposition Sankalp Amonkar told reporters.
The BJP-led State Government was scouting for excuses to curtail the session as it did not want to face the opposition, the Congress leader claimed.
Amonkar said they would raise the issue when the House reassembles after lunch. (PTI)
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