PANAJI
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), the alliance partners in the BJP-led government, has distanced itself from the latest political turmoil.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant dropped Minister Govind Gaude from his cabinet. Gaude’s hot equation with MGP exists since 2012, when he battled against Deepak Dhavalikar and lost, but managed to win in 2017 and again in 2022.
“It is their (BJP's) internal matter… we have nothing to do with that… it won’t be right on our part to comment on their decision,” MGP chief Deepak Dhavalikar said.
When pointed out that MGP is part of the coalition government, Dhavalikar said, “We are just alliance partners in the government and have no role in BJP’s decision-making. Also, whether to drop a Minister or not is the CM’s prerogative and their coalition has no role to play.”
Dhavalikar maintained that MGP will go with BJP in the 2027 elections. “We will jointly fight the 2027 polls,” he said.
In 2007 and 2012, the Priol seat was won by Dhavalikar before facing defeat at the hands of Gaude in 2017. He won the election with the support of BJP after MGP had severed ties with the saffron party, which was led by Laxmikant Parsekar at that time.
