Manohar Parrikar taunts Rahul Gandhi, credits him for BJP's victory

With Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi drawing flak from every quarter over the grand old party's dismal show in the recently-concluded assembly polls, newly-appointed Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on 16 March, 2017 taunted the former and sardonically remarked that he would want him to stay on forever to help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win with majority every time.

"I wish he leads the party for long; we want to achieve the majority in the forthcoming elections too," he said.

In the assembly polls in five states, the Congress managed to secure a clear majority in Punjab, while the BJP emerged victorious in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Even in Goa and Manipur, where there was a fractured mandate, the BJP managed to garner support from independent MLAs and other parties and formed a government.

Earlier on 16 March, 2017, Parrikar established victory in the assembly floor test with 22 legislators standing up in his support.

Soon after his victory, Parrikar trained his guns on Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh and said that the latter had come to the coastal state for luxury and not to work.

Parrikar steered clear of any questions on Congress MLA Vishwajit Rane, who had written a letter to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi complaining about the senior party leaders for their slow decision making that cost them the chance to form the government in Goa and Manipur.

Parrikar, who stepped down as Defence Minister, was sworn-in as the chief minister of the coastal state for the fourth time on 14 March, 2017 evening, along with nine ministers.

But with the Congress challenging his appointment, citing Goa Governor Mridula Sinha did not follow the procedure as dictated by the Constitution, the Supreme Court earlier this week asked the test to be conducted on 16 March, 2017.

A special Assembly session was convened for the purpose.

-ANI