On one hand is D'Souza's foe-turned-friend-turned-foe, Irrigation Minister Dayanand Narvekar who is publicly sulking against his downgrading in the ministry. The BJP which is providing outside support to the Goa Rajiv Congress government is also showing signs of doing a Jayalalitha on D'Souza since the last weekend.

But the immediate threat to the Goa government is the dissidence which is tearing apart the 10-member Goa Rajiv Congress (GRC). Dayanand Narvekar who led a group of four legislators into D'Souza camp to bring down former chief minister Pratapsinh Rane's government has begun another revolt.

Relations between Narvekar and D'Souza which were nevercordial worsened when the latter stripped the former of the Urban Development portfolio. Worse still, Narvekar lost his supporters to his rival when they were awarded plum portfolios like Industries, Forest and Public Works.

In the run-up to today's confidence vote, Narvekar has been making threatening noises against the chief minister. During the Independence Day celebrations he refused to share the dais with D'Souza. On Monday after the Bombay High Court verdict, quashing the disqualification of the GRC members by Speaker Tomazinho Cardozo, Narvekar boycotted a dinner organised at the chief minister's residence. The minister even went on to advise reporters to be present for his speech during today's confidence vote.

However, last minute fire-fighting by the chief minister's camp ensured that Narvekar uttered nothing out of turn during the proceedings. Naturally, the man most pleased with the turn of event is former chief minister and present Leader of the Opposition Pratapsingh Rane who issued a veiledwarning to his successor about betrayals from within.

Incidentally, some of Rane's own colleagues led by former Industries minister Luizinho Faleiro have been lobbying with the Congress high command for a change in leadership of the Congress party. R L Bhatia, the AICC observer who came down to Goa in end-August to review the situation was told that Narvekar may return to the Congress with a few Goa Rajiv Congress legislators if Rane is removed as CLP leader.

Meanwhile, rumours around in Panaji that the chief minister may drop Narvekar from the Cabinet in the forthcoming reshuffle. Members of the CM's entourage are spreading word to journalists that Narvekar is not likely to find a place in the new team. Things are likely to get murkier with the D'Souza camp still threatening a Central Bureau of Investigation enquiry against the minister.

On the other hand, the BJP which is supporting the government from outside is also pitching in to discredit the government. The BJP which has an electoral tie-up withthe Maharashtra Gomantak Party which is part of the government is taking pot shots at some Goa Rajiv Congress ministers.

Following a public spat over the elections to the board of the Goa Urban Cooperative Bank last weekend, BJP MLA Manohar Parrikar issued a press release demanding that D'Souza take away the cooperative portfolio from Pandurang Bhatale.

The note further warned the government not to take the BJP's support for granted. Though the rift died down when the panel comprising of MJP and BJP members emerged successful in the bank polls, political observers note that the last word is yet to be said on the rivalry between members of the BJP and the Goa Rajiv Congress.