D'Souza's Goa Rajiv Congress (GRC) led coalition was reduced to a minority last week after four MLAs from his party and an Independent supporting the Government, defected to the Congress. The Cabinet of the Government which has been reduced to a minority by a single vote is likely to inform the Governor that Goa will face a prolonged period of instability, even if the Congress is allowed to form the Government, as a lone MLA is enough to hold it to ransom.

On Tuesday evening the Chief Minister and some of his party colleagues took the first step in the direction, by requesting the Governor to intervene. The BJP which is supporting the Government from outside, is also clamouring for thedissolution of the Assembly and the conduction of fresh polls. ``Even when the CM wins the vote of confidence, he must recommend dissolution of the House to the Governor,'' BJP spokesman Manohar Parrikar said here today.

Meanwhile the Congress party is lobbying hard to prevent its claim to form a Government from being overturned. ``Tomorrow four MLAs from D'Souza's camp will vote for us,'' Luizinho Faleiro told the press. Stung by the demand for the imposition of Presidents Rule in Goa, Faleiro who is leader of the party in the Assembly insisted that the President should follow the precedent set by him when he refused to dismiss the Rabri Devi Government in Bihar. ``A majority of even one vote is still a majority,'' he told the press.

The political upheaval in the state has intensified political realignments. The non-Congress parties in Goa have agreed to share seats and contest the elections unitedly against the Congress if the house is dissolved, Parrikar told the press.

An alternative strategymooted by the D'Souza camp, in case it chooses not to resign, is to stall the actual vote of confidence. Two days earlier D'Souza himself declared that he would speak for two to three days. Today, Parrikar himself declared that he would speak for several hours.

In this scenario, the role of the Speaker will be of paramount importance. Tomazinho Cardozo, who is the current Speaker, is accused of being too close to the Congress. A no-confidence motion was to have been taken against him at the beginning of the winter session of the Assembly, originally scheduled for December 2.