PANAJI
There is talk in credible political quarters that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant may effect more changes in his cabinet less than 10 days after the shake-up in which he inducted Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira at the expense of former PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral.
The new changes could happen within the next few days and two more ministers from the current lot are expected to be replaced like Cabral was with former chief minister Digambar Kamat and another MLA from the eight-member group of Congress MLAs who crossed over in September last year, the credible source said.
The other MLA who will be made a minister is unlikely to be former Leader of the Opposition Michael Lobo as the source said it will be a first-timer who had been brought on board to make up the numbers for the group to “split and merge” with the promise of a berth, the source said, adding that Sawant is expected to hold consultations with the party leadership in Delhi before effecting the changes.
At the Delhi level, meanwhile, the saffron party is said to be bracing up for major changes in the party apparatus nationally ahead of the crucial 2024 parliamentary elections soon after the results of the assembly elections in five States are declared on December 3. The changes in Goa could happen simultaneously.
