PANAJI
The visit of caretaker Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to the national capital where he met with top BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi has seemingly veered opinion of the BJP's top bosses towards entrusting the leadership mantle in Goa to him again.
Reliable BJP sources indicated that apart from an endorsement for Sawant to be chief minister again, the Central party leadership has also given its nod for the inclusion of MGP supremo Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar and the Independent Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco in the Cabinet.
A second Independent, Dr Chandrakant Shetye, a first-time MLA elected from Bicholim could also make the cut and find a place in the Cabinet, the sources said.
For the record, there has been no official word yet from the party on the Goa leadership issue, nearly a week after the Assembly election results were declared in which the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 20 seats. It has since garnered the support of five more legislators -- two of MGP and three Independents.
The fact that BJP, which was led by Sawant as chief minister, returned as single-largest party with 20 seats leaving its competitor Congress way behind with just 11 seats, seeming weighed in favour of the incumbent when the Central leadership considered government formation and who should lead it in Goa.
Reports had suggested that Sawant was facing competition for the top post from his detractor within, Vishwajit Rane and had dashed off to Delhi hours after the first session of the new Assembly on Tuesday where MLAs took their oath.
The BJP State president, Sadanand Tanavade and General Secretary (Organisation) Satish Dhond had tagged along with Sawant to Delhi.
The delay in installing a government in Goa more than six days after results were declared, meanwhile, gave rise to speculation of internal differences within the legislature party on the question of leadership.
A group of MLAs led by veteran Ravi Naik and also several of the BJP's constituency 'mandals' had also publicly voiced stiff opposition to the inclusion of MGP's Dhavalikar in the Cabinet.
The party's central leaders vetoed the opposition to Dhavalikar from the local leaders since his support had been negotiated and secured in advance when the results on March 10 were expected to throw up a badly fractured mandate and a hung House.
Also on the question of leadership, none in Goa including Rane himself, had publicly aired any views but there were enough hints of an internal tussle of sorts for the top post.
The former health minister's wife Deviya Rane who has been elected from Poriem added to the suspense when she told the media on the sidelines of Tuesday's assembly session that her husband "is ready" to take up the leadership mantle.
The BJP central leaders at one stage were also mulling the name of Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Arlekar after a missive from the party's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) hierarchy from Nagpur.
For now though, his Delhi trip has bode him well and Sawant it is who seems to have secured the endorsement of the all important High Command to be Chief Minister again, in all probability to be sworn-in after Holi.
