BJP CM consults Delhi, drops MGP’s Dhawalikar Bros from the cabinet
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 12 December 2016 23:24 IST
At last, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar dropped both Dhawalikar brothers of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party from his cabinet today late evening.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has thus opened the door for the MGP to exit from the alliance, before the forthcoming Assembly election.
Sudin Dhawalikar and his brother Dipak would not be the ministers any more.
“The decision got delayed as I had to consult my higher ups before taking the decision”, Parsekar told goanews.com.
He admitted that the decision was taken after consulting all the higher ups, including Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Goa in-charge and union minister Nitin Gadkari.
MGP leader Sudin Dhawalikar had earlier said that they would resign only if the duo tells them, while reacting to Parsekar’s suggestion that they should resign and go if they don’t like his leadership.
“Under article 164 (1), I had used my discretion and recommended to the Governor that they be dropped from the cabinet”, said the CM.
When asked whether he would accommodate two colleagues of his from the BJP to fill the vacancies, he said: “I will be holding their portfolios henceforth.”
The situation had reached the nadir with CM Parsekar and Sudin getting into verbal clashes in their public discourse.
CM Parsekar had been consistently saying that both the brothers from the MGP should resign and go if they are opposed to his leadership.
The MGP had officially demanded Parsekar’s resignation if the BJP wanted the junior partner to continue the alliance in the forthcoming election.
While rejecting the demand, the BJP had also gone offensive on the MGP.
Parsekar had said he could accommodate two of his colleagues if Dhawalikar brothers walk out.
CM Parsekar had even gone to the extent of saying that Sudin had started daydreaming of becoming the CM after election.
Sudin had however brushed aside this comment arguing that the MGP required to contest at least 28 seats by aligning with other parties to become the CM.
“I have no such plans till this moment”, he had said.
But this offensive action of the BJP is a clear indication that the BJP-MGP alliance would be the history.
This would also mean that Goa would now see a new combination of the MGP aligning with the RSS & BBSM-supported Goa Suraksha Manch fighting the BJP in the election.
Both of them are now siting on compound wall ( Waicher / Addyar) so that can run in both direction ( Congress or BJP ) with black mailing ,after the result are declared.