Congress calls meet of Goa MLAs to discuss leadership issue

Congress legislators demanding leadership change in Goa will be attending a crucial meeting called by the ruling party today to discuss the issue.

MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, who is part of the dissident group seeking removal of chief minister Digamber Kamat, told reporters last night that the party has invited all the legislators to discuss the leadership issue.

"We have the support of almost 80% of the legislators who want that Digamber Kamat should be removed from the post and replaced with someone else," Madkaikar, a former transport minister, said.

The meeting is likely to be held in the city, though Congress has kept the venue under wraps.

The rebellion within Congress, heading an alliance government in the politically-volatile state, began on Tuesday, when a group of five MLAs met at a coffee shop here and raised the demand to dethrone Kamat, calling him "inefficient".

Kamat, 56, became chief minister in June 2007.

The group comprised Churchill Alemao, Fransic Silveira, Agnelo Fernandes, Madkaikar and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.