Is the BJP leadership trying to hide its embarrassment after the MGP writ petition in High Court? The party has termed the move to seek court intervention to restrain former Congress MLAs Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar as a joke and an act of entertainment. If that is the case, why should the party top brass even bother to engage their ally? The fact of the matter is that in principle MGP is on solid ground and there is nothing funny to discard it as a joke. PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar talking about political ethics and a pre-emptive move to discourage others from leaving political parties is however a matter of another debate.
The MGP and the Congress suddenly appear to be talking the same language of ‘political ideologies’ and ‘chameleons’, but the grand old party has got very little to cheer here. The crux of the issue is MGP is in no mood to concede on their demand of handing over charge of the administration to Dhavalikar. MGP interests lie here and everything else is plain pressure tactic.
The MGP is rubbing salt into the wounds of the BJP by highlighting the motive behind Sopte and Shirodkar’s resignations. And the very fact that the party has even brought on record the ‘terminally ill legislators’ within the government, will embarrass the saffron party even more. The petition cannot be treated as a joke as the MGP has named several BJP leaders, including chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who according to them, are not in a position to even attend an assembly session if convened.
If all is well with the allies, this is a clear indication it is not, and what is portrayed is purely superficial. BJP is being driven to the wall and their fallible second rung’s fire-fighting exercises have failed to douse the growing resentment. The latest to hit out at the administration are a disgruntled Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and the tight-lipped fisheries minister Vinoda Paliencar.
It is obvious that ministers are not finding the going easy with bureaucrats virtually running the administration. One wonders how Lobo started heaping scorn on bureaucrats terming them ‘corrupt’ when he appeared happy all this while.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai has thrown broad hints that Parrikar may shed off major portfolios to save the situation, a move which would virtually reduce him to a non-playing captain. But again, this appears to be a knotty issue with senior members keeping a hawk’s eye on the all important finance and home portfolios.
Despite the cosmetic changes that the government is working on, the leadership issue will continue to haunt the ruling dispensation. The MGP is building up pressure to an extent of even threatening to contest elections against BJP in the forthcoming polls. It remains to be seen how the government manages to wade through a leadership crisis which is looming, with all allies “ MGP, Goa Forward and Independents remaining firm on their choices.
