PANAJI
In a surprise move that significantly came on the eve of the birthday celebration of Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar sacked the Dhavalikar brothers -- Sudin and Deepak -- from his Cabinet.
The decision was made known late Monday evening culminating weeks of acrimony between the two alliance partners.
“Under Article 164(i)of the Constitution of India, I hereby recommend you to remove the following ministers from the council of ministers,” Parsekar said in a letter of Governor Mridula Sinha.
Ramakrishna “Sudin” Dhavalikar was a senior partner in the erstwhile BJP-MGP alliance, which can now be considered as good as dead, with him holding the crucial portfolios of Transport and the Public Works Department, both involving significant government spending in the case of the latter and revenue in the case of the former besides also the portfolios of River Navigation. Pandurang “Deepak” Dhavalikar was the minister of cooperation, factories and boilers, craftsman training printing and stationery among others.
The portfolios will now remain with the chief minister.
The flash point in the relationship was when the MGP called for dropping of Parsekar blaming him for the messing up the State and taking it backward by 10 years.
Earlier in the day, Parsekar asked Sudin to resign from the Cabinet, if he had self-respect.
He was reacting to Dhavalikar’s claim that Parsekar has taken the State 10 years backward and the BJP-MGP alliance will continue only if Parsekar is dropped as the chief minister.
Speaking to media persons after a function, Parsekar said, “If he has some self-respect, he should resign and go. He wants to be there and enjoy all the benefits of power till the last moment. This is not correct.”
“He can dream of becoming not only the chief minister of the State, but also the prime minister of the country. I don’t have any objection to it”, said Parsekar.
Stating that BJP has organisational setup in all 40 constituencies, Parsekar said, “My party believes in organisation. Wherever we have MLAs, we already have an organisational setup. However, in places where we do not have our MLAs, there too we are building the organisation.”
But, even though we have the setup in all 40 constituencies, we have never said that we do not want anybody with us. Even when we had 21 MLAs elected, we took them (MGP) together and gave them important portfolios in the Cabinet”, said Parsekar when asked if they did not want a pre-poll alliance with MGP in the upcoming State Legislative Assembly polls.
Questioned on the reason why MGP was making such comments, he said, “Usually I avoid commenting on others, especially those who are a part of my Cabinet. I will only comment when he (Sudin) resigns and goes. I have tried to have patience all this while.”
