Congress in Goa, RJD in Bihar look to apply BJP's Karnataka formula to form government

Both Congress and RJD have said the two were the single-largest party after elections in Goa and Bihar, respectively.

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New Delhi: Crying over spilt milk may be of no consequence but Congress is unlikely to go down without a fight. Even as the party continues to protest BJP being invited to form government in Karnataka by the virtue of it being the single-largest party, media reports suggest Congress could show it was the single-largest party after Goa polls too last year and try to stake claim to form government.

News agency ANI on Thursday reported that party in-charge in Goa - Chella Kumar - will meet Governor along with several Congress leaders and 'remind' her that it is Congress which had emerged as the single-largest party after elections here. It is reported that the Congress is going to argue that the political reasonings in inviting BJP to form government in Karnataka should also apply to Goa and that the current government here be dismissed. 

In 2017, we won 17 seats & were single largest party & continue to be but Governor chose to invite the BJP which had 13 seats. In Karnataka, Governor invited BJP as they are the single largest party. So, we appeal to Governor to invite us to form govt: Yatish Naik, Congress #Goa pic.twitter.com/EqCl4bxi1j — ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2018

Congress did emerge as the single-largest party in Goa after elections were held in February of 2017. The party had 17 of 40 seats with BJP having secured 13 seats. BJP however managed post-poll alliances to reach the majority mark and its claims were accepted by the Governor Mridula Sinha. The move was challenged by Congress in Supreme Court but it was turned down. In the case of Karnatka, there has been a role reversal of sorts. Here, BS Yeddyurappa's BJP managed 104 seats with Congress (78) and JDS+ (38) a distant second and third. The post-poll alliance between Congress and JDS staked claim having together crossed the majority mark but this time, Governor Vajubhai Vala turned it down. 

Congress has once again approached the Supreme Court but this time, from the other side of the fence.

It remains to be seen if what took place in Karnataka on Tuesday, Wednesday and most of Thursday will have a ripple effect on other states like Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya where the political scenario was almost opposite but the eventual outcome same.

Meanwhile, RJD in Bihar too has jumped in the fray and said that the current government under Nitish Kumar should be dismissed. Tejaswhi Yadav said that since RJD was the single-largest party after elections in 2015, it should be invited to form the government - again using Karnataka as an example. (Read full report here)