"The decision on CM candidate is yet to be taken": Goa BJP president

Gadkari arrived at a city resort around 1 a.m. He is meeting BJP and alliance MLAs there in a bid to cobble together a new alliance coalition government. The senior BJP leader is also expected to finalise on a Chief Ministerial candidate to replace Manohar Parrikar, in consultation with party President Amit Shah.

Saima Siddiqui
Published on: 18 March 2019 4:29 AM GMT
The decision on CM candidate is yet to be taken: Goa BJP president
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Panaji: After the death of the Goa chief minister, Manohar Parrikar, the politics around the vacant seat has gained momentum, where, in coalition formed government, BJP may loose the support. Brushing aside the rumors the Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar said, "The decision on chief ministerial candidate is yet to be taken. But the picture will be clear by 2 pm."

The MLA also said that the new chief minister would be sworn in after 3 pm Monday.

ALSO READ: Goa CM Manohar Parrikar passes away at 63

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), an ally of the ruling BJP in Goa, on Monday said its executive committee would take a call on whether to continue support to the state government. MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar met Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari in Panaji to discuss the political situation in the state following the death of chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

Dhavalikar said, "The MGP would hold its executive committee meeting later in the day to decide whether to continue its support to the BJP-led government or not." Responding to a question, he said there was no discussion with Gadkari on the chief ministerial candidate. The MGP leader also said he was not in the race for the top post.

To forge a fresh alliance between the BJP-led coalition government in Goa after the death of chief minister Manohar Parrikar, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in the wee hours of the night reached the state to nominate a new leader after consultation with the coalition partners.

Gadkari arrived at a city resort around 1 a.m. He is meeting BJP and alliance MLAs there in a bid to cobble together a new alliance coalition government. The senior BJP leader is also expected to finalise on a Chief Ministerial candidate to replace Manohar Parrikar, in consultation with party President Amit Shah.

Party legislator Michael Lobo said late Sunday night a BJP-led new Goa government would be in place by Monday morning. "The government will be in place by Monday morning at 9.30 a.m... I strongly feel that all alliance partners and Independents will stay with the BJP," Lobo said.

Parrikar was an MLA from Panaji, and his death will necessitate a fourth bypoll in Goa, where by-elections are scheduled for the Shiroda, Mandrem and Mapusa assembly seats on April 23, alongside the Lok Sabha elections.

With the Congress already formally staking claim to form government claiming to be the single largest party with 14 MLAs in the 36-member House, there is political crisis in the state.

BJP legislators and top state leaders, along with the representatives of alliance partners Goa Forward, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and three independent MLAs, have gone into a huddle to chart out a strategy to form government in the state.

Speaking to the media past Sunday midnight, former minister in the Parrikar cabinet Vijai Sardesai said an informal proposal for a non-MLA chief minister was discussed at a brief meeting with BJP leaders earlier on Sunday.

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“Nobody can take anybody for granted at the moment. Everybody has to work in cohesion for this thing to survive. Nobody can take anybody for granted. The numbers are such that everybody has to take each person seriously,” Sardesai said.

“When he (Gadkari) comes we will meet him. First their party should decide what they want,” he said, adding that the BJP could not choose a CM without the consent of allies.

Former PWD minister and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party leader Sudin Dhavalikar said any decision on stitching together a fresh alliance would depend on discussions with Gadkari.

“At this stage nothing is acceptable until there is discussion,” he said.

While the Congress has 14 MLAs in the Assembly, the BJP has 12, MGP and Goa Forward have three MLAs each, and there are four Independent legislators. MLAs in the state legislative assembly. The 40-member House was reduced to 36 after the deaths of Parrikar and BJP MLA Francis D’Souza, and with two Congress MLAs quitting the party to join the BJP last year.

ALSO READ: Goa Chief Minister’s Office: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s health condition is extremely critical

In its letter to Governor Mridula Sinha, Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said: “The coalition partners of the Parrikar-led government had allied with the BJP on the condition that the government would be headed by Parrikar, the then Defence Minister of India. The BJP, therefore, has no allies as of now.” The Congress leader said it was up to the governor to ensure “smooth transition and transfer of power” in the state.

“The Congress being the single largest party, its leader is entitled to be invited to form the next government. We therefore once again stake our claim to form the government and request Your Excellency to extend the invitation to our leaders to form the next government,” the letter said.

Saima Siddiqui

Saima Siddiqui

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