The seven-month-old Digamber Kamat Government in Goa was tottering today after three ministers and an MLA said they were quitting. In a House of 40, the ruling Congress-led coalition had a strength of 23.

Tourism Minister Mickey Pacheco, Revenue Minister Jose Philipe D’Souza (both NCP) and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane (Independent) along with Nilkanth Halarnkar (NCP) announced they were quitting the government. They said they would be meeting the Congress party high command tomorrow before making their resignations formal. Rane is expected to raise the demand that his father, Speaker Pratapsinh Rane, be made Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar tonight warned his party MLAs that they would face “extreme action” if they go ahead with moves to withdraw support to the Congress-led coalition there.

So deep is the crisis that the government could not pass the Appropriation Bill in the Assembly today and the House had to be adjourned abruptly.

Sources said that Vishwajit Rane had planned the coup against Kamat. An Independent MLA, Rane was absent from the House today as were Congress MLAs Sham Satardekar and Gurudas Gavas.

There were clear indications that Atanasio Monserrate, unattached member of the United Goans Democratic Party and Reginaldo Lawerenco from the Save Goa Front, were also supporting moves to topple the government. “This government was always in crisis from its inception,” said Monserrate after the Assembly was adjourned.

Kamat, however, maintained there was no danger to his government. “The Assembly is in session and you watch what happens in the House tomorrow, there is no danger to my government.”

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