Wednesday’s political developments where eight Congress MLAs merged into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) evoked timid reactions from ministers belonging to the saffron party, although reports suggest some senior ministers are upset suspecting an inevitable disturbance of the power equilibrium within the cabinet.
Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane, who is being viewed as a competitor to CM Pramod Sawant, said the entry of more MLAs into the party was a “good thing”. “The decision to take Congress MLAs will make the BJP strong” Rane said, adding that the development indicates that the Congress has no presence.
PWD Minister, Nilesh Cabral too welcomed the development. “The party must grow. More people entering the party is good and it is up to the voters to decide to send MLAs home or re-elect them,” Cabral said but declined to go into the technicalities of the merger of the eight-member Congress group and the anti-defection law.
Cabral, who is law minister said, the party abides by the Supreme Court and Parliament, when asked if there was any violation of the anti-defection law in the act of the Congress MLAs splitting and merging with the BJP.
Tourism Minister, Rohan Khaunte said he was part of the BJP and whatever decision the leadership and High Command takes, he will move ahead with it.
He parried questions from journalists on whether he would burry differences with Calangute MLA Michael Lobo with whom he had a running feud in the runup to the last assembly elections.
Khaunte said, it will not be appropriate for him to make comments on the political pros and cons of the decision to admit eight Congress MLAs into the party. “The party is growing nationally and at the State level. We are all part of it,” Khaunte said, adding that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and BJP State president Sadanand Tanavade are dealing with it according to decisions taken by the Central leadership.
