DONA PAULA (Goa): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition, which has staked claim to forming the government in Goa, Wednesday asked Governor K. Sankaranarayanan to urge the president to expedite assent to the Goa Lokayukta Bill, which is presently pending with Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Speaking to reporters at the Raj Bhavan grounds near Panaji, the 26-member coalition's chief ministerial candidate Manohar Parrikar said: "We have asked the honourable governor to follow up on the Goa Lokayukta bill which is presently awaiting assent with the president."
The former leader of opposition also said that it was essential that President Pratibha Patil grant assent to the bill soon because the BJP had promised to institute the office of the Lokayukta in Goa within 100 days of coming to power.
Parrikar also said that BJP's central leader Ravi Shankar Prasad had also been assigned the responsibility of following up the progress of the presidential assent in New Delhi expeditiously.
Riding a massive anti-incumbency wave and an aggressive campaign against dynastic politics and graft, the BJP had trounced the Congress in the March 3 polls.
The BJP got a simple majority of 21 seats in the 40-member house. Its alliance partner the MGP won three seats, while the Congress won nine seats.
Goa Vikas party, a regional outfit won two seats, while an unprecedented five Independent candidates emerged victorious.
The coalition is expected to be sworn-in on the evening of March 9, according to Parrikar.