VASCO
For Sankalp Amonkar, November 7, 2026, will be a defining date in his political career. From defeating a three-time BJP MLA on a Congress ticket in 2022 to joining the BJP, heading a government corporation and finally becoming a minister, Amonkar has travelled an unusually eventful political journey in his maiden tenure as MLA.
For Mormugao, his induction brings back cabinet representation after nearly four years. But beyond the celebrations, Amonkar's elevation raises a more compelling question: what can a minister deliver to his constituency when the government approaches the fag end of its tenure?
With assembly elections expected in February-March 2027, Amonkar has a short political window to make his ministerial appointment count. The election commission's announcement of elections will bring the Model Code of Conduct into force, halting Amonkar's ability to initiate new projects even earlier.
From defeating a minister to becoming one
Amonkar's political journey makes his elevation particularly interesting.
In 2017, he came tantalisingly close to defeating Milind Naik, polling 8,326 votes against the latter's 8,466, losing by just 140 votes. Five years later, Amonkar returned to the electoral battlefield. Contesting on the Congress ticket, he defeated Naik by 1,941 votes, ending Naik's three-term term from Mormugao.
The victory was significant because Naik was not merely an incumbent MLA but a former minister with an established political network.
However, Amonkar's subsequent political move changed equations. In September 2022, he joined the BJP along with seven other Congress MLAs. He was then appointed chairman of Goa Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation. The cabinet berth completes his political progression within a single assembly term.
Ironically, the man who defeated a BJP minister is now himself a minister in the same party.
Questions over BJP's Mormugao face
Perhaps the most immediate political consequence of Amonkar's induction will be felt within the BJP in Mormugao.
For months, there has been uncertainty over the BJP's candidate from Mormugao in 2027. Despite losing in 2022, Milind Naik continues to enjoy considerable influence among the party's support base. Amonkar has consolidated his position after joining the BJP and now enjoys the additional advantage of being a minister.
The ministerial appointment sends a significant political message. While it does not constitute an announcement of the 2027 candidate, it strengthens Amonkar’s standing within the party, making him a formidable contender for BJP’s ticket in Mormugao.
The bigger challenge will be accommodating Naik and his supporters. Naik reportedly commands the loyalty of seven of nine councillors in Mormugao constituency, who refuse to align with Amonkar.
Amonkar may have secured the ministerial post, but winning over an organisation that has traditionally worked under Naik will require more than a cabinet designation. The BJP will have to manage this internal transition carefully. After all, a ministerial berth can strengthen an individual, but an election is won through an organisation that works collectively.
Krishna Salkar: Uneasy political equation?
Amonkar's elevation also introduces another political equation within Vasco.
Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar is also a first-time legislator, but unlike Amonkar, he has been with BJP and built his political career within the party with no defection blots on his name. He has consistently worked to establish his political identity while also heading a government authority.
While his neighbouring MLA has become minister, Salkar remains outside the cabinet.
Will this create any discomfort?
The question is relevant because both represent constituencies in the port town, and both will be looking towards the 2027 elections with respective political ambitions.
Salkar has his own organisational network and electoral responsibilities. However, Amonkar's elevation as minister gives him additional political advantage in access to governance and administrative machinery.
The BJP will have to ensure that Amonkar’s ministerial elevation does not create political imbalance whereby one constituency gets preferential treatment at the expense of another.
Timing and limitations
The immediate question is which portfolio will be assigned to Amonkar. There is also the practical challenge of time. A new minister needs time to understand the department and coordinate with officials.
If the first month goes into understanding the department and the next few weeks into initiating decisions, the election notification could arrive just when the ministerial machinery begins gathering momentum. Amonkar will have to get into election mode running rather than spend precious time settling into his new office.
Mormugao has finally got its minister. But with the electoral clock already ticking, the real test is whether Amonkar can make the ministerial tenure count before the electorate gets its next opportunity to pass judgement.
