Goa's number one and two -- Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane -- are getting a little too cozy for the comfort of the rest of the cabinet.
A Sunday before the last, the two were on a trip together in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh posing cosily for a photo-op at the the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. Also in tow was Deviya Rane and BJP's State general secretary Damu Naik. The first lady, Sulakshana Sawant, however didn't make the tour.
The Goa contingent partook in a special 'Bhasma Aarti' of Lord Shiva which was performed at 4 am at the Mahakaleshwar temple
Both Sawant and Rane took to 'X' (formerly Twitter) to describe their temple experience, the former saying he "prayed for everyone's well being and prosperity".
Vishwajit on the other hand stuck to the spiritual and had this to say: "Post the darshan at the Mahakaleshwar Temple, we addressed and shared our divine experience, One that provides a deep sense of connection, peace and introspection. Truly, it was a journey not just of miles, but of the soul."
A day prior to their departure for Madhya Pradesh, Sawant graced an event at Poriem where Rane praised him to the sky once again leaving better half Deviya blushing pink much the same way as at the event to inaugurate the Paikul bridge in July.
So, have the Sawant-Rane duo had a genuine change of heart or is it just the usual game of perception and deception politicos know so well to play?
You cannot find too many 'reliable sources' who you can trust and believe in the saffron camp, but one we got hold of tells us that orders have come from the top in Delhi for the two to bury the hatchet, at least for the next nine months until the 2024 Lok Sabha election season is over.
Praising Goa's fiscal
management in Chhatisgarh?
He and his government may be badgered by the Opposition and the legion of critics online for the State's precarious finances and wasteful expenditure on hosting extravagant events but Chief Minsiter Pramod Sawant chose to indulge in some self praise and paint a rosy picture of Goa's fiscal management in Chhatisgarh, of all places.
Continuing his weekend touring of poll-bound States, Sawant last Saturday boarded a plane and landed in Chhatisgarh where he participated in the BJP's 'Parivartan Yatra' there.
Chhattisgarh is among the few States where the BJP was displaced from power five years ago and the latter has been unable to regain power through its signature 'operation Kamal'. So, the saffron party is stretching itself to snatch power again there and Sawant it seems was drafted to earn some headlines.
Political pundits and observers, however, are scratching their heads to figure out the logic and intent of Sawant's praise of Goa's financial management in Chhatisgarh. Goa in the coming years will be debt free, he claimed. How is it relevant there? What will it gain for the BJP in the run-up to the polls there?
We haven't come up with any answers. The next time we get the opportunity, perhaps, we can ask the chief minister and we'll update you with the answers as the come from the horse's mouth itself.
Logic of out-at-60 shack-wala
So finally the new 'shack policy' for 2023-24 is out and while there are some interesting and welcome tweaks, like the one compelling these shacks to serve traditional Goan cuisine, there are quite a few other elements that have raised several eyebrows.
The age clause for instance which disqualified those who have attained the age of 60 to bid for a beach shack and run the business. The logic may have been to give greater opportunities to Goan youth, but to those who have run the business for several years to be eliminated because they have turned 60 is a bit too harsh. Traditional shack operators were at wits end to understand the logic behind the clause to disqualify them on the age criterion and raised a hue and cry.
Eventually, better sense has prevailed and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has agreed to eliminate the clause instead of eliminating the senior shack operators. As they say, all's well that ends well!
