the goan I network
MAPUSA
When he was finally sworn in as the minister on Saturday, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo achieved what seemed impossible some time ago.
Always a strong claimant for a cabinet berth, he failed to make the cut in 2017 due to political compulsion despite playing a crucial role in installing the Parrikar-led coalition government in the State.
He was made the deputy speaker and compensated with the chairmanship of North Goa Planning and Development Authority.
He was again overlooked in September 2018 when former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar dropped two of his ailing cabinet colleagues “ late Francisco D’Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar, replacing them with Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral and Mormugao MLA Milind Naik as ministers.
He missed the bus yet again when Deepak Pauskar and Babu Azgaonkar were sworn in as ministers after they joined the BJP by breaking away from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in a mid-night coup just about a month before the general elections.
Lobo, who is known to have strong opinion on issues, did not leave a single opportunity to slam his own government in the last two years.
Be it the tourist taxi issue, the simmering mining problem or the traffic sentinel scheme, the young coastal MLA felt the pulse and stood besides the “victimized Goans”, at times contrary to the stand taken by his own government.
Union minister and North Goa MP, Shripad Naik, will know better as he faced direct barbs from the coastal MLA on a couple of occasions before the general election.
If his recent camaraderie with the Chief Minister and party leadership is anything to go by, Lobo may have perhaps taken a leaf out of Dale Carnegie’s best-seller ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’.
Despite working at cross purposes at times, the Calangute MLA has managed to strike a chord with the Chief Minister and the party bosses.
It’s an open secret that in the recent bypolls, Lobo worked against the interest of BJP in Mapusa by covertly backing the rival candidate.
Even in the general election, he conceded a big lead to the Congress in Calangute much to the embarrassment of his party.
Among the party hierarchy everyone is aware that Lobo had no love lost against organizing secretary, Satish Dhond.
Despite all these factors, the Calangute MLA managed to convince the party leadership and get a foothold in the cabinet.
When Chief Minister Pramod Sawant finally took the call to drop four of his former colleagues on Saturday, Bardez lost three ministers in one stroke.
Having won the confidence of the party and now being the only minister in the taluka, Lobo has virtually become the boss of Bardez.
He is expected to dominate the politics in Bardez as his sphere of influence will now spread to all the seven constituencies of the taluka.
“The party has decided to give him an opportunity since he has shown inclination to take additional responsibility and work for the State. Since now he is in the government he will have to control of his outbursts and toe the official line on different issues affecting the State,” said a senior office-bearer of the party requesting anonymity.
Lobo once disclosed that he always dreamt to own a Mercedes at 13 and managed to live his dream when he bought one, when he was 28.
He had a strong desire to be a minister in the government and finally achieved his ambition on Saturday the 13th.
He also once publicly said that he wants to be the chief minister of the State. Who knows? Only, time will tell.
