Nothing has been straight in Goan politics, not even the most sacrosanct constitutional processes like the formation and installation of a Government for the good of the people.
A long month, after the declaration of the Assembly results, Goa finally has a full cabinet of 12. It must have been a harrowing task for the BJP, to first select the Chief Minister, then the eight Ministers and now those final three. Even the allotment of portfolios has been no easy task with the entire process of government formation remote-controlled by the BJP High Command in Delhi. The clash of selfish and vested interests among those ‘elected’ politicians was bound to take time to get resolved ‘profitably’ for most, if not for all of them.
Within the Congress, the situation has been no better, with the Leader of Opposition picked in Delhi while bypassing and virtually humiliating the very senior and experienced Digambar Kamat.
But the pitiable plight of the Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco is a lesson for future chameleons and roving political frogs. Having lost the race for that promised cabinet berth, despite all his hectic and frantic lobbying ending up as a hyped disaster, Reginaldo will now have to be content with some BJP charity by way of crumbs as Chairmanship of some Corporation which he can “earn”, but will have no gloss. Sudin Dhavalikar after having roared all the way that he would be the kingmaker and would not align with the BJP and more particularly would not accept Pramod Sawant as Chief Minister, has had to swallow that humble pie and be now at the mercy of the BJP and its Chief Minister. Sudin’s desperation for power may now see the end of Goa’s oldest regional party the MGP.
In the 60s and 70s, Goa was well-governed with just three or four ministers. Most MLAs travelled on two-wheelers and some even by public transport to reach the Legislative Assembly and Secretariat in Panaji. Many became impoverished after becoming MLAs.
Today politics has become a very lucrative business and a venture with very rich enormous dividends. Rags to riches, and that too overnight, even in less than one term “ has been the norm with that virus having spread all across and infected all over, be it in Assembly, Municipal or Panchayat elections.
