the goan I network
PANAJI
Town and Country Planning Minister, Vijai Sardesai, who on Monday afternoon paid an ‘unscheduled’ visit to ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar at his private residence in Dona Paula, said he discussed the ‘political situation’ and also thanked him for clearing the Margao kabrastan file.
Sardesai, however, did not specify the details of the discussion with Parrikar on the political situation but insisted that Parrikar’s condition was “good” and continued to work at his own pace for the State and the people. He also claimed that the CM will later visit some ongoing projects to take stock of the progress.
Minutes after Sardesai left, a vehicle with Parrikar in it also drove out of the building. However, the Chief Minister was only driven around and returned back to his residence in a short while.
Sardesai’s meeting with the chief minister comes in the backdrop of the ruling coalition being straddled by his ongoing battle of one-upmanship with PWD Minister, Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar.
Both Sardesai and Dhavalikar are equal allies in the coalition having three MLAs each. Their rivalry picked momentum ever since Parrikar floated a proposal in September last year to anoint Dhavalikar with a leadership role in the government owing to his wavering health condition due to his battle with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Sardesai nixed the move by mobilising the independents and raising the decibel levels of the opposition to Dhavalikar.
The MGP, meanwhile, has begun flexing its muscles by threatening to contest the upcoming by-elections to the vacant Mandrem, Mapusa and Shiroda seats. It has also said that it is also considering fighting the Lok Sabha
elections.
When contacted, Dhavalikar said the decision to fight the by-elections has been taken by the party on the ground that the MGP is opposed to the ‘politics of defection’ and defectors are being proposed as candidates.
