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After BJP’s big gain, talk of leadership change in Goa
In the new political situation emerging after the resignations of two Congress MLAs, the BJP is in a pole position and no longer bound by the diktats of the allies.
A change of leadership in Goa’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems imminent with leaders of its coalition partners, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP), scheduled to meet BJP national president Amit Shah soon.
In the new political situation emerging after the resignations of two Congress MLAs on Tuesday and their shift to the BJP, the latter is in pole position and no longer bound by the diktats of the allies. Both the BJP and Congress now have 14 members in the 40-seat assembly.
Earlier attempts to select an alternative leadership as chief minister Manohar Parrikar was being treated for a pancreatic ailment was stymied by squabbling allies.
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party claimed that its leader Sudin Dhavalikar should be handed the baton because he is the senior-most leader. Aware of its weakened position now, the MGP has softened its stand.
“It was a demand we had made at that time,” MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar told HT.
“Now the situation has changed. Let them discuss. We will wait and watch,” said Dhavalikar. Responding to the fact that the BJP can achieve a simple majority in the 38-member house without the support of the MGP, Dhavalikar said that it was not “true democracy”.
“In a democracy, one has to have a simple majority of the house. The house strength is of 40. The two MLAs who have resigned could lose their elections, then what will be the value of a trust vote that is held in a 38-member house?” Dhavalikar asked.
GFP party leader Vijai Sardesai said it was incumbent on the ruling BJP to choose an alternate leader and said his party was committed to the stability of the government.
“Let them (BJP) choose a leader. We may be asked to give fresh letters of support, which should not be too much of a problem,” Sardesai said, adding that the current situation was “not ideal”.
The two coalition partners, which had made Manohar Parrikar’s leadership conditional on them supporting a BJP- led government following assembly elections last year, now appear to have climbed down from their respective positions.
Former Congressman and current health minister Vishwajit Rane is the frontrunner to succeed Parrikar should he decide to resign as chief minister. Rane, who was instrumental in wooing two Congress legislators over to the BJP, has positioned himself as the pre-eminent candidate within the BJP.
