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Ain’t fighting with minister Rane, says Goa CM Pramod Sawant in unusual rebuttal

ByGerard de Souza
Nov 26, 2021 01:29 AM IST

The backdrop for Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant’s rejoinder at a BJP party workers’ convention are swirling rumours of sharp differences between the two leaders.

PANAJI: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant chose to begin his speech at a meeting of party workers with a rejoinder to those attempting to spread “rumours” of a rift between him and health minister Vishwajit Rane.

Valpoi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda and Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant at a party workers' convention at KTC Bus Stand Hall, in Valpoi on Thursday. (ANI)

“Elections are coming close... many times several political parties keep harping on one thing repeatedly. That there is an ongoing fight between me and Vishwajit (Rane). I want to let you know that there is no fight between me and Vishwajit. We are both one,” Sawant told BJP workers at the event in the presence of visiting Bharatiya Janata Party boss JP Nadda.

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The backdrop for Pramod Sawant’s equivocal rejoinder are swirling rumours of sharp differences between the two leaders. Some of it has been in the public domain. Like their differences over handling the Covid-19 pandemic. Or reports that Sawant initially refused to sign off on bills sent by the state health department that were allegedly considered exorbitant.

Once rivals on opposite sides of the political divide, Vishwajit Rane and Sawant, who represent constituencies that share a common border, found themselves in the same party after Vishwajit Rane decided to switch to the BJP to help himself get a slice of power. Since then, the two have clashed including at cabinet meetings over a range of issues that also came to the fore during the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the same event, Rane in his speech hinted that there were instances where there were ‘problems’ with the chief minister but said that they were being sorted out.

Rane is not the only ‘dissenting’ voice in Pramod Sawant cabinet. On Wednesday, Goa minister for waste management Michael Lobo objected to a proposal from the state tourism department to hand over the recently-renovated Aguada Jail to a private agency for management, operation and maintenance. The jail is located in the historic Aguada Fort, where several freedom fighters were incarcerated during the colonial era.

“This jail cannot be given out lock, stock and barrel… I smell a rat. As a minister in the cabinet, I told CM to go through it. This is our monument that has to go to the next generation. As long as I am cabinet minister, I will not allow this to be signed. I will not allow a historic monument associated with the freedom movement to be handed over to a private party,” Lobo told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

With elections drawing closer, there is a perception that Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant has been unable to assert his authority in face of contrary voices within the cabinet, something that is seen as a sharp contrast from his predecessor, Manohar Parrikar who often had the last word on all matters concerning his government.

Besides Rane and Lobo clashing with the chief minister, Lobo has also clashed with tourism minister Manohar “Babu” Ajgaonkar over beach cleaning contracts, and a host of other issues including those involving taxi operators.

“It is well beyond conventional ethics for a sitting minister of the government to air his grievances against the government to the media or in public. He should either take it up within the cabinet or if he feels that he doesn’t have the confidence of the chief minister, he should resign from the cabinet,” Prabhakar Timble, a former state election commissioner and political observer said.

“It appears he (Michael Lobo) is seeking an escape route out of the BJP, which is prompting him to voice his grievances,” Timble added.

While not all ministers have been vocal in public, differences between the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues such as Mauvin Godinho (over the amended Motor Vehicle Act), and Jennifer Monserrate (over the now redacted Bhumiputra Adhikarni Bill) have also been under the spotlight.

Pramod Sawant, who was chosen to succeed Manohar Parrikar after the veteran politician died in March 2019, was the only one among the BJP MLAs to have risen through the party ranks and was considered as someone who follows the party’s ideology closely. The other MLAs were in the past associated with the Congress or Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, (MGP).

Sawant’s relative inexperience - he was only a second-time MLA and hadn’t even been a minister before the giant leap to the chief minister’s office - was said to be one of the things to watch out for as he led a cabinet with many ministers with decades of experience.

At Thursday’s event, Sawant’s speech in presence of his party boss was seen to underscore unity in his team ahead of state elections early next year.

“We will come together and ensure that the Prime Minister’s vision, the vision of Manohar Parrikar for Goa is taken forward and the BJP is reelected to power in the state,” Sawant said.

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