With the passing away of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, the fate of BJP government in the state hangs in balance. Considering the chief minister’s critical situation and the political vacuum his death will create in the state, the Congress has already staked the claim to form the government yesterday.

Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar, 63, passed away Sunday evening at his son’s home in Goa after battling with Pancreatic cancer for over two years. Parrikar, who was elected chief minister of the state thrice also joined Narendra Modi cabinet as defence minister from May 2014 to March 2017. He came back to the state to serve as chief minister for the fourth time, heading a coalition government after his party failed to win majority in the assembly elections held in early 2017.

In its letter delivered to the governor on Saturday, the Congress party had asked the governor Mridula Sinha to dismiss the minority government led by Manohar Parrikar. It was seen as an attempt by the Congress to avoid imposition of President’s rule in the state in the event of demise of a sitting chief minister.

Goa assembly has 40 seats and a party or coalition needs 21 seats to form the government. However, three seats in Goa assembly were vacant and with the death of Manohar Parrikar the number of vacant seats has gone up to 4. A party or coalition needs only 19 seats to form the government.

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Congress is the largest party in the state with 14 members. Though the party had won 17 seats in the assembly elections held in March 2017 to emerge as the single largest party but it was outsmarted by the BJP that was able to stitch an alliance even before the Congress could stake the claim in March 2017. However, three Congress MLAs Dayanand Sopte, Vishwajit Rane and Subhash Shirodkar had resigned since then, reducing the party’s tally to 14 in the state.

After the death of BJP MLA Francisco D’Souza in February this year, the BJP was reduced to 13 members and after the passing away of chief minister Manohar Parrikar, the party has left with only 12 members in the house.

Though, BJP enjoys the support of 3 MLAs each of Maharashtra Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP) and three other MLAs, the party did not seem to have a replacement for the deceased leader as he was the glue that was holding the alliance together.

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In March 2017, Manohar Parrikar had to resign from union cabinet to become chief minister of the state after his party had failed to win majority. Two alliance partners – MGP and GFP – had offered support to the party with a rider that Parrikar be made chief minister leading to his resignation from the Modi cabinet.

In February 2018, Parrikar had disclosed that he was battling with a life threatening disease that saw him getting treatment in Goa, Delhi Mumbai and New York for months.

However, in absence of a suitable replacement, Parrikar continued to should the responsibilities of the post of chief minister despite his deteriorating health. Perhaps, this was the reason that the party kept him in the office despite his prolonged illness and frail health. The BJP was criticised for keeping him in the job after his images discharging his official duties with a oxygen tube were published. Parrikar’s demise leaves a political void and new challenges for the party in the state just ahead of crucial national election.