PANAJI
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has staked claim to seven key constituencies, including Ponda, Priol and Shiroda, ahead of the next Goa Assembly elections, signalling a phase of hard bargaining in the ruling alliance.
Power Minister, Ramkrishna "Sudin" Dhavalikar, who has steered the MGP for over two decades said the party would first decide on the alliance and the related seat-sharing and other strategic issues at its executive committee and general body meetings before holding formal alliance discussions with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in New Delhi. Dhavalikar said MGP will stake claim to the currently vacant Ponda seat for the MGP and questioned demands for his party to let go of it. Interestingly, at the last assembly elections in 2022, MGP which was not in alliance with the BJP had contested the Ponda seat and its candidate, Ketan Bhatikar was runner-up with only 77 votes separating him from the winner Ravi Naik. But since then, several developments, including the deaths of both Bhatikar and Naik, and the bye-poll announcement-cancellation fiasco in April this year, have completely overhauled the constituency-specific electoral dynamics. Nonetheless, MGP demand for Ponda, Shiroda and Priol, the latter two held by the BJP's WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar and former minister Govind Gaude, could potentially be the deal-breaker between the two ruling alliance partners. Apart from Ponda, Priol and Shiroda, the MGP is also laying claim to Dhavalikar-held Marcaim, its other MLA, Jit Arolkar held Mandrem, Bicholim and Pernem.
Describing these seven constituencies -- Mandrem, Marcaim, Pernem, Bicholim, Ponda, Priol and Shiroda -- as crucial to the electoral strategy for 2027 assembly elections, Dhavalikar asserted that MGP candidates would definitely be in the fray in them. While admitting that the MGP remains an ally of the BJP and is keen to continue the partnership going into the upcoming elections, Dhavalikar said the sentiments of loyal party workers must also be respected. Meanwhile, referring to a recent meeting at the Chief Minister's residence, Dhavalikar clarified that seat-sharing was not discussed and added that his brother Deepak Dhavlikar attended it at Sawant's invitation.
