Chief Minister Pramod Sawant finally cracked the whip on Wednesday and sacked Minister for Art and Culture and Sports Govind Gaude from the cabinet post triggering yet another political discourse in the State. The action follows BJP’s decision to take punitive action against Gaude following his corruption charges in the Tribal Welfare Department headed by Sawant, at an event on May 26. This is the second time that Sawant has dropped a cabinet minister, the first was due to political compulsions when Nilesh Cabral was dropped as PWD minister and replaced by Aleixo Sequeira.
Gaude has been in the eye of the storm on numerous occasions in the past. He faced multiple allegations of corruption over the Kala Academy renovation works, an issue that put him on the warpath with theatre personalities, and was also criticised for handling of National Games. Last February an audio clip featuring Gaude’s voice went viral where he lashed out at a government official for organising an event in Priol without his permission and went on to involve the names of the Chief Minister and Ramesh Tawadkar. His rivalry with Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar is well-known and the several flare-ups in the past have been doused with even the CM intervening.
Gaude used the sympathy card immediately after his sacking saying that he has been “rewarded” for standing with the downtrodden communities. “I thank my party for giving me an opportunity, and the action has helped me to decide between truth and power”, he said in a social media post.
While Gaude played the victim card as expected, his actions of making a public charge against a department headed by the chief minister were in complete breach of protocol.
The incident left BJP leadership red-faced and with no option but to act decisively. Letting off Gaude for this outburst would certainly send the wrong signals. By dropping Gaude outright without waiting for the larger reshuffle which it was suggesting, the BJP has sent a loud and clear message that it will not tolerate such bad behaviour.
One major focus area in this political drift is the positioning of the United Tribal Association Alliance (UTAA) which had been rallying solidly behind Gaude. We recall that UTAA threatened a backlash if Gaude was sacked, but now have been surprisingly muted in their reaction to the development. Tribal support would be crucial to the BJP in the run-up to the 2027 assembly election and any distancing at this stage will make things difficult for Sawant. The BJP will have to be wary of the tribal equation and possibly examine ways to neutralise the fallout of Gaude’s ouster.
Another concern could be the Priol politics that Gaude was shouldering for the BJP. With the turn of events, he is most likely to exit the party and contest back as an Independent or join any alternative. The saffron party will have to weigh options and redraw strategies since BJP will lose electoral ground with Gaude’s exit, and if 27 in 2027 is the goal for the BJP, this move could prove counterproductive.
All said and done, the BJP leadership appears to be in control of the situation. There are names of Digambar Kamat, Ramesh Tawadkar, Ganesh Gaonkar, Michael Lobo and wife and a few others doing the rounds. Also, the State BJP President Damu Naik suggests that more changes in the cabinet are to follow. It is to be seen whether the ensuing reshuffle is based on performance or political targets. Time will tell.
