Cong likely to ignore Pawar's directive to induct Pacheco

"No way we can allow Pacheco's induction into the ministry as the NCP legislator is facing a murder charge and a CBI inquiry is on against him in a money laundering case", a senior Congress leader, who declined to be identified, said.

The Congress-led government in Goa headed by Digamber Kamat is facing a potential crisis after ten legislators led by former Chief Minister Churchill Alemao threatened to dislodge the government protesting any move to bring back the NCP legislator in the cabinet.

The trouble erupted after Pawar had asked Kamat to reinduct Pacheco by dropping the two NCP ministers.

Both the NCP ministers, Jose Philip D'souza and Nilkant Halarnkar, have been asked to step down from the cabinet by NCP which accused them of being involved in anti-party activities.

The government would be toppled within minutes if Pacheco, a former tourism minister, is sworn-in, the Congress MLAs had told at a press conference in Panaji yesterday.

Asserting that they would not bow down to any diktat even if it is from the party high command, the legislators, led by Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao, asked Congress general secretary B Hariprasad, in-charge of state affairs, to immediately rush to Goa to resolve the crisis.

Along with Churchill Alemao, Congress MLAs Joaquim Alemao, Agnelo Fernandes, Philip Nery Rodrigues, Fransico Silveira, Atanasio Monserratte, Pandurang Madkaikar, Manohar Asgaonkar, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Chandrakant Kavlekar are against Pacheco's induction.

Alliance sources said the NCP leadership wants the two to be sacked if they failed to resign following the party's directive.

AICC General Secretary B K Hariprasad told PTI that he has asked the Chief Minister to hold talks with the party dissidents to resolve the issue. Hariprasad, who is in charge of party affairs in Goa, said he also planned to visit the state soon.

Meanwhile in Panaji, Kamat today briefed Governor S S Sidhu on the political developments in the state. Soon after the meeting, the Chief Minister met all the dissident legislators.