ALL EYES NOW ON THREE OPEN SLOTS AND ALLOCATION
PANAJI
In a statement which could trigger a fresh round of political speculation and realignment in political allegiances, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that his cabinet would be expanded further by Monday.
“Cabinet expansion (will be done) before Monday,” the Chief Minister told reporters on the sidelines of a government event. He also said that the sensitive exercise of portfolio allocation to ministers would also be carried out the same day.
On March 28, Sawant was sworn in as Chief Minister and was administered oath to office, along with eight other ministers in the presence of a galaxy of BJP’s central leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, etc.
Sawant’s cabinet currently includes Vishwajit Rane, Mauvin Godinho, Ravi Naik, Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Shirodkar, Rohan Khaunte, Govind Gaude and Atanasio Monserrate. There is a cap of 12 ministers (including the chief minister) in the Goa cabinet.
The Chief Minister’s statement on Friday about a likely cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation could now set the political pot boiling once again.
If Sawant stays true to his announcement, the suspense of whether the BJP would allocate a ministry to Sudin Dhavalikar would come to an end by Monday.
The BJP has already allocated three cabinet berths to legislators from the Ponda sub-district namely Ravi Naik (Ponda), Subhash Shirodkar (Shiroda) and Govind Gaude (Priol).
While the absence of Dhavalikar in the expanded cabinet may not be surprising, his inclusion in the cabinet would make it a record of sorts for the Ponda subdistrict as far as the number of ministers it accounts for in the Sawant cabinet.
The Chief Minister’s announcement on Monday, could also once and for all resolve the Vijai Sardesai conundrum. Sardesai has been linked to an alignment with the treasury benches, with some reports suggesting that the Fatorda MLA may even merge his party with the BJP.
While Sardesai has outright denied such speculation, the lone Goa Forward MLA has been more critical of his party’s pre-poll ally Congress, than the BJP in recent times.
BJP national general secretary CT Ravi has already hinted about more MLAs coming in support of the ruling party, a statement which does not bode well for the Congress too, whose legislative strength was halved, quartered and hung bare for all to see by the BJP from 2017-2022.
“The government currently enjoys the support of 25 MLAs -- 20 from the BJP and five including independents and MGP. In the house, at the time of proving majority, we could get more support. This is the situation,” Ravi told reporters last month soon after Sawant staked to power.
The Congress will have its task cut out to keep its flock together at least until the Chief Minister comes good on his word about the cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation.
