MARGAO
As Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and BJP state president Sadanand Tanavade descended on the Betalbatim playground for the football finals along with BJP lone Salcete MLA Ulhas Tuenkar, it was not just football that was witnessed on the sprawling grounds, but politics as well.
For a moment, football fans that had thronged the Betalbatim ground to witness the football finals thought that it may just be a coincidence that the saffron brigade was sharing the dais with former minister Mickky Pacheco and others at the football finals.
Minutes later, however, flamboyant Mickky made no bones of the fact that he was instrumental in inviting the Chief Minister and the BJP State president, besides the BJP Navelim MLA as guests for the late Joao Francisco & Luiza Pacheco All Goa inter-village football finals organized by Betalbatim Sporting Club played at the Panchayat ground in Betalbatim.
In fact, the former MLA, whose wife Viola has made it to the Betalbatim panchayat as the deputy sarpanch, was categorical in saying he has been in touch with the BJP leadership, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tanavade for some time now.
Coming as it does close on the heels of his decision to quit the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the presence of the BJP leadership at the football finals has only thrown up a question of whether the former minister is on his way to the BJP. Pose this question to the former minister, and Mickky neither denied nor confirmed, but replied saying “wait and watch for the next few days.”
That Mickky pointed out that he was in a discussion mode with the BJP leadership for some time and that he has now severed ties with the NCP, has sent out indications that the former minister may unveil his political chart in the coming days.
“I have invited the Chief Minister and BJP president for the finals. My wife Viola and I had also met BJP leaders after her election as Betalbatim deputy sarpanch and the CM has promised all-out support to usher in the development,” Mickky said.
He added: “Even today, the Chief Minister has stated that people can submit their problems to Viola and me by promising to redress them.”
