MISSING FROM MUCH
OF FESTIVITY ACTION
>> Parrikar on Thursday skipped the Ganesh idol installation 'pooja' at his ancestral Parra home after he was admitted for a second time this week to a private clinic in Calangute
>> He, however, paid obeisance at his family home in Parra on Friday evening where he spent brief moments surrounded by his family members, before returning to the Calangute hospital
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MEET WITH CORE TEAM
>> Parrikar held meetings with the eight members of the Goa BJP core team and separately with cabinet ministers from alliance partners at the Calangute hospital on Friday evening
>> PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar, TCP Minister Vijay Sardessai, Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte, Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude, all met the chief minister
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NO POLITICS DISCUSSED!
VIJAI SARDESSAI: We only wished him a speedy recovery and all the best on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. We did not discuss any politics
GOVING GAUDE: It was a courtesy visit. Nothing was discussed. I could not meet him since he came down from the US. No political discussions took place
SADANAND TANAVDE: There was no BJP core committee meeting. It was a courtesy meeting with the CM. We had not met him after he returned from the US
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MAPUSA/ PANAJI: Even as Goans were deeply engaged in Ganesh Chaturthi rituals and festivities to immerse the idols from their homes the whole of Friday, Goa's political arena continued to be mired with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's absence in action and office owing to his yet to be officially declared ailment.
But the state of limbo could end soon. The man who for nearly two decades dominated Goa's politics with his inimitable, alpha-male style has finally given in to the wishes of his immediate family members and decided to hang his boots. According to a close relative, Parrikar is expected to put in his papers very soon.
The Goan has also learnt that the Chief Minister has conveyed his decision to the party's Central as well as its local leadership. The development could see the BJP's national president flying down to Goa to ensure a smooth succession.
For the record, however, BJP general secretary and former legislator, Sadanand Tanavde, claimed that no decision has been taken and all is well.
Parrikar had on Thursday skipped the Ganesh idol installation 'pooja' at his ancestral Parra home after he was admitted for a second time this week to a private clinic in Calangute - Dr Dukle's Hospital and Research Centre.
He, however, made it a point to go and pay obeisance to the revered God at his family home in Parra on Friday evening where he spent brief moments surrounded by his family members, before returning to the Calangute hospital in the evening.
Amid the intense speculations on his health while he was admitted to the Calangute hospital, Parrikar took everyone by surprise when he walked out of the hospital and was driven straight to Parra.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister who had not met anyone either from the government, his cabinet or his party, since returning from the United States last Thursday, held meetings with the eight members of the Goa BJP core team and separately with cabinet ministers from alliance partners at the Calangute hospital on Friday evening.
PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar, TCP Minister Vijay Sardessai, Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte, Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude, all met the chief minister in the hospital and insisted there was no politics discussed.
“We only wished him a speedy recovery and all the best on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. We did not discuss any politics,” Sardessai told The Goan.
Most of them described their brief meeting with the CM as purely a "courtesy visit" and that no politics whatsoever was discussed.
The TCP minister refused to comment on the issue of leadership change or if there was likelihood of any talks to be held next week.
On CM’s health, he said that Parrikar was not as bad as was being made out to be.
Gaude also said the visit was purely a courtesy call and nothing to do with politics or future course of action.
“It was a courtesy visit. Nothing was discussed. I could not meet him since he came down from the US. No political discussions took place. I was there with the CM for about 15 minutes,” Gaude said.
Meanwhile, the State BJP’s core committee members comprising AYUSH Minister and North Goa MP Shripad Naik, South Goa MP Naresh Sawaikar, State BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, Vice President Datta Kholkar, General Secretary Sadanand Tanavde, former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar and former minister Rajendra Arlekar also met the chief minister at the hospital.
“There was no BJP core committee meeting. It was a courtesy meeting with the CM. We had not met him after he returned from the US. We called him and he asked us to come and see him,” Tanavde told The Goan.
The BJP general secretary said that he wasn’t aware if any central party observers were scheduled to come down to Goa.
“I have no idea. Nothing has been decided so far,” Tanavde said.
