Sawant lauds 'people's man' on birthday, says MLA has 'bright future' in BJP
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo cuts a birthday cake as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant looks on.
MAPUSA
For the second consecutive year, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has publicly praised Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on his birthday, once again predicting “better days ahead” for the former minister.
However, despite the glowing words, no concrete political commitment or responsibility has been extended to the coastal MLA – leaving his aides and supporters visibly disappointed.
At the birthday function held at Lobo’s residence, Sawant heaped praise on the former Congress leader, calling him “a people’s man” and predicting a “bright political future,” particularly within the BJP.
“He is always with the people. He has a bright political future and his future in BJP is even more bright,” Sawant said, echoing sentiments he had expressed exactly a year ago.
“In the coming days, Michael will have better days. I pray to God that his political future be brighter,” the Chief Minister added, without making any commitment regarding a ministerial berth for Lobo – who rejoined the BJP in 2022 after a brief stint in the Congress.
The pattern of repeated platitudes with no substantial outcome has become a source of frustration among Lobo’s loyalists.
“We were expecting the CM to give some indication – perhaps a ministerial role. But again, it was just wishes,” said a close aide of Lobo.
Lobo, a former minister who once held key portfolios in the BJP-led government before switching sides to the Congress ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections, returned to the BJP along with six other MLAs in a political realignment that made headlines.
However, since his return, he has been left without any official post – neither ministerial nor organisational – despite his visible outreach and presence in the party's coastal strongholds.
The Chief Minister last year had lauded Lobo for his ability to “convince people” and highlighted his re-entry into the BJP as a positive trait. Yet, these affirmations have not translated into political advancement for the MLA.
In a parallel repeat, BJP Goa President Damu Naik also visited Lobo and offered identical wishes, again invoking the now-familiar “better days ahead” line.
The birthday celebrations saw a gathering of political leaders, including MLAs Digambar Kamat, Reginald Lourenco, Sankalp Amonkar and Rajesh Faldesaai, along with a steady stream of sarpanchas and panchayat members from the coastal belt. From the opposition camp, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai was among the dignitaries present to wish Lobo.
The turnout was seen by some as a subtle display of Lobo’s continued grassroots influence. Yet, the conspicuous absence of any formal announcement or assurance from the party leadership indicates a stall in Lobo’s political trajectory – at least for now.
As the BJP gears up for future political challenges, including panchayat and municipal polls, questions remain over whether Lobo will be given a more defined role in the party hierarchy, or whether the cycle of ceremonial praise without power will continue.
