'Official rumour' saves Dhawalikar, embarrasses Digambar
SANDESH PRABHUDESAI, PANAJI | 26 February 2010 19:58 IST
After discarding it as mere rumours for several months now, there was an "official rumour" today that a minister would be sworn in, in the evening, obviously by dropping another.
Within minutes, the "official rumour" was also discarded, clarifying "officially" that the swearing in was cancelled.Was it a fault of Department of Information and Publicity or a plan to drop a minister that went haywire?
Most embarrassed in this position was chief minister Digambar Kamat.
Most panic in this situation was, apparently, Transport Minister Sudin Dhawalikar.
The 'rumours' got very strong today that Dhawalikar would be replaced with Pandurang Madkaikar, a Congressman, who was dropped long ago.
Suddenly, mobiles of almost all the journalists beeped while the chief minister was addressing a press conference in the afternoon, to react on the union budget.
It was official. From the Department of Information and Publicity. The SMS said: ``swearing in ceremony at Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan at 7 p.m. today.''
Obviously, journalists shot questions at the CM: Who is being dropped? Who would be sworn in?
CM's reply was unexpected: "There should be a vacancy to accommodate someone.. How can there be a swearing in ceremony without dropping any minister?," he questioned.
When journalists started displaying their mobile SMS to him, Mr Kamat claimed that `some officer in personal capacity might have sent the message.''
Even as chief minister went on denying about any change in the cabinet, another SMS flashed: "No Swearing in ceremony is scheduled at Raj Bhavan. Inconvenience caused is regretted'"
The chief minister left and the "rumours", as usual, confirmed what had actually happened.
Apparently, Mr Kamat had decided to go ahead with dropping of Sudin and inducting Madkaikar. The Raj Bhavan was also informed.
But a local Congress 'leader' suddenly got a call from the high command of the Nationalist Congress Party. Some claim he was civil aviation minister Praful Patel.
He apparently questioned: "How could you drop Dhawalikar without informing us? He is part of our Group 7."
Some claim that the Congress 'leader' was even threatened that G7 would withdraw its support to the government.
The G7 members are 3 of the NCP, 2 of Dhawalikar's Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, education minister Babush Monseratte and health minister Vishwajeet Rane.
The Congress is 18. It's a coalition government of 25.
The rest are 14 of the BJP and independent MLA Anil Salgaoncar.
Due to the risk of getting the government dislodged, the Congress apparently backtracked, but simply forgot to intimate the Raj Bhavan about the change in plan. Thus the "official rumour" on SMS!
As per the information gathered, Dhawalikar is being rescued by Sharad Pawar, the NCP supremo!
Madkaikar is still waiting...
Excerpts from my article published in Herald on July 8, 2009: ...To start, he [a archtypal Goan] loves a branch of mathematics called PoliMath, which is political mathematics.
1. He is interested in the latest updates in Polimath he had been privy to from his confident friends, the previous day. He desires to know if the news has appeared in print. There are a few versions of this equation:
x+y+14+2+C=K
The actual values of x and y depend upon political sponsorship and fertility of brain of the guy expounding his PoliMath. The direct digits 14 and 2 belong to the BJP and the two present independent members of the Goa Assembly, both respectively and respectfully.
C is an interesting phenomenon and its value equals 3; value 1 is for Mr. Babush Monserrate and the value 2 for Dhavalikar & Bros. As in any good Math, now that Mr. Monserrate is intending to join Congress, value of C, the constant is 2.
K is a symbol for Kodel, the CM’s chair. If and when K equals 21, it would mean poor CM has to vacate his Kodel. It may be noted that the value and position of the term C is precarious as after Babush was reported to be joining Congress, rumors have been flowing in the opposite direction, i.e., BJP MLAs are shifting to Congress.
One requirement of this PoliMath is that it should end in K=21, the half way mark of the Goa Assembly strength, and the frustrating part is that despite many brainy mathematicians working hard on daily basis, it has not yet been realized in the last 4 years.
2.The variously balanced equation is often the result of overimaginative party members of BJP or Congress, who are against the present CM and want to impress the public at large of their proximity to leaders.
These same fertile brains often invoke caste, creed, religion, corruption, extortion, smuggling, relations, partnership or rivalry in business, files in Sonia Gandhi’s cupboard, and under-the-surface rivalry in family, just about anything to defend the magic value of K. Creativity achieves new heights!
Goans love brevity and secrecy only in rumors! To prove this they will not name the CM, but invoke the name Moti Dongor, a lovely hillock in Margao, and stare at you with a hard smile almost ready to strangle.
All this and such analysis is expected to be read in Goa papers. It really does not matter if the equation goes against real life situation, but for a sossegado Goan, it proves that something is happening in his dull and dreary life. He gets immediately pregnant with a plethora of expectations.
...
It is good to see the politicians trying their best in all possible manner to occupy the Ministerial berths for serving the people. But the unfortunate part is that instead of serving the people, many of them are busy serving themselves, once they have power!