Eyeing the CM's chair, Sudin targeting too many birds
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 19 September 2016 22:20 IST
While continuing its alliance with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, he is also pampering the BJP rival like Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch as well as wooing the disgruntled elements in the Congress as well as the BJP.
“Not less than 20 MLAs have approached me with a request to join the MGP”, he claimed while talking to the media today.
At the same time, he also confirmed that he is definitely interested in becoming the next CM of Goa, provided he gets the magic figure of 21 on his side.
“I am the seniormost and experienced MLA in the group. There is nothing wrong if I wish to become CM, provided I get 21 members on my side”, said the four-time MLA since 1999.
Following Congress legislator Pandurang Madkaikar, independent Naresh Sawal has also declared that he would contest next election on MGP ticket from Bicholim.
Madkaikar, on the other hand, has claimed that there are more colleagues of his who are thinking on the same line.
While Quepem MLA Babu Kavalekar is another Congressman in the line to follow Madkaikar, Dhawalikar says there are many more from different parties and even independents.
The MGP supremo however declined to reveal anything further.
Sources claim that even some sitting MLAs as well as ex-MLAs of MGP’s senior partner – the BJP – have approached Dhawalikar.
The power-hungry ambitious politicians find more comfortable with Dhawalikar due to his ‘flexibility’ in sharing power with anybody.
With mere two seats, the MGP remained in power with the Congress from 2007 and has now completing another five-year term with the BJP with only 3 seats, in spite of BJP having absolute majority of 21 in the House.
Dhawalikar made it clear today that the MGP would continue its alliance with the BJP in the next election and the seat-sharing would begin only after the Election Commission of India issues the notification announcing election.
The BBSM has served a deadline of 30th September to the MGP to declare its decision on its public appeal to severe ties with the BJP and join hands with them to defeat its senior alliance partner.
If not, the BBSM is all set to declare its own party by 2nd October.
“We fully support the demands of BBSM. But I feel they should not get into electoral politics or form a political party”, said Dhawalikar, thereby indirectly rejecting their offer.
It however appears that the MGP would exploit the BBSM offer to bargain maximum number of seats in the alliance by blackmailing the BJP.
The party that ruled Goa for the first 17 years has already increased its stake from 9 in 2012 to 14 seats for the next election, to continue the alliance.
But party working president and Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar has said the number could increase beyond 20 if more people come and join the party bandwagon.
He has also said the MGP is already working in 25 constituencies despite knowing that the junior partner cannot get so many seats from among the 40 seats.
The party may thus try and get maximum number of seats to retain alliance while other left-out candidates may be fielded through the new outfit the BBSM is trying to float.
If they are also elected, the MGP-BBSM could be the strongest force in the Assembly to form the government, with or without anybody’s support.
It would obviously make Sudin Dhawalikar the undisputable chief minister of Goa!
This will be the last election of Maharashtra Goa Party (MGP)!!!!