MARGAO
Will Power finally return to Margao after a gap of 12 years with speculation rife over the induction of Congress-turned-BJP MLA Digambar Kamat in the Pramod Sawant Cabinet?
Will the proposed Cabinet rejig bring about a shift in power from Nuvem, the constituency represented by Congress-turned-BJP MLA and lone Salcete Minister Aleixo Sequeira to pave way for Kamat’s return?
And, how would the BJP leadership justify any decision to axe Sequiera when such a move will reduce the number of Catholic representation in the Sawant Cabinet from the present three ministers to two, assuming that Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar and Kamat are inducted in the Cabinet.
Even as speculations did the rounds about an imminent Cabinet reshuffle before the year end, the key players were in Margao on Friday, but they all preferred to play safe, not giving any indications about the likely shift in power from Nuvem to Margao in minority Salcete.
Consider this: Sawant was in Margao on Friday with Kamat in tow to inaugurate Consumer Shopee exhibition at the BPS club. The Chief Minister neither replied in the affirmative nor ruled out Cabinet reshuffle when questioned by media before returning to the State capital.
Kamat too played down the question of his imminent Cabinet induction by saying he has no idea. He just laughed when his attention was drawn to reports that decks were cleared by BJP top leadership for his induction in the Cabinet.
On the other hand, when The Goan called up Sequeira to comment on reports that he may face the axe, he was quick to reply that he has not been sounded by the Chief Minister on any such move. “I do not know anything of a Cabinet reshuffle or any move to drop me from the Cabinet”, he said.
In fact, Sequeira went about his weekly Friday darbar at the South Goa district Collectorate. He had a crucial meeting with railway officials on how to resolve the land issues at Velsao affected by the double tracking project.
What’s significant to note is that the Environment minister held the meeting with Railway officials at the instructions of the Chief Minister to bring about an amicable settlement of the issue. That Sequeira asserted that the demarcation of the land at Velsao will take place on December 20 and the issue resolve before the year end, has sent indications that he has received no hints of his imminent axe from the Cabinet.
Both Sequeira and Kamat were part of the eight member Congress defectors who had quit the Congress in September 2022 to embrace the BJP. While Kamat had missed out the Cabinet bus, Sequeira was inducted in the Cabinet in November 2023, completing one year in office.
