Manohar Parrikar is admitted in Delhi's AIIMS
A three-member team of central observers of the ruling BJP arrived in Goa on Sunday to take stock of the political situation after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was admitted to Delhi's AIIMS. The Congress said it is closely monitoring the development.
The BJP is said to be exploring alternatives for the chief minister's position in Goa till Mr Parrikar recovers.
The BJP sent its national general secretaries BL Santhosh and Ram Lal and Goa in-charge Vijay Puranik to assess the situation in the state, where the party came to power with the support of regional outfits and independents.
"They will be holding a series of meetings on Sunday and Monday with BJP leaders and also the alliance partners -- the Goa Forward Party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Independents," BJP state chief Vinay Tendulkar told reporters.
The central observers met the party's legislators as well as Goa unit chief Vinay Tendulkar and Member of Parliament (South Goa) Narendra Sawaikar at a city hotel on Sunday.
Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, after the meeting, said that he had given his views about the current political situation and it was now for the party to take a decision.
Mr Rane, however, refused to divulge details of the meeting.
"We have briefed them about the facts. Each one of us has our own views and we briefed them about it. It is not right to come out in public with what we discussed," he said.
Deputy Speaker of State Legislative Assembly Michael Lobo told reporters that the meeting was centred around the functioning of the government and Mr Parrikar's ailment.
"The observers sent by the party high command are monitoring the situation. Let them report to the high command and come back to us with a solution to the problem," Mr Lobo said.
On being asked about what the problem was, the deputy speaker said, "There is no problem in the party. Right now, the chief minister is not well, that is the problem," he said.
The observers were expected to meet leaders of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), allies in the Parrikar government, later Sunday, party functionaries said.
Mr Lobo had said the party's leaders will suggest the allies that they should become part of the BJP.