‘There is need to accommodate MLAs who defected from Congress’
Panaji: Hinting at possible reshuffle in the state cabinet, BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Tuesday said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will hold discussions with top brass of the party in Delhi on accommodating the defected MLAs in the government.
He said that cabinet reshuffle cannot be decided by the state party leadership, adding that it falls under the domain of the Chief Minister.
He, however, said that there is a need to accommodate at least some of the MLAs who switched over from the Congress party to the BJP in the state cabinet, or chairmanship of corporations should be given to them.
“As a party, we cannot take here a decision as to who should be made minister or who should be removed from the cabinet. The Chief Minister will discuss with the Centre, and accordingly the ministry and chairmanship of corporations will be allotted. So far, no discussion has taken place. Decision on positions in the party organisation is decided by party leadership and about the positions in government, it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister,” Tanavade maintained, while interacting with media persons in the party office in the city.
It is pertinent to note that two-thirds of Congress legislators merged the Congress legislature party with the ruling BJP on September 14.
They are Michael Lobo, Digambar Kamat, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rodolfo Fernandes.
Soon after the MLAs switched sides, there were speculations that at least three of them – Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo and Aleixo Sequeira – would be inducted in the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet.
Tanavade expressed ignorance about the promises made to the eight MLAs by the party’s central leadership.
Sources said that fearing that they might be dropped from the cabinet to make way for the defected MLAs, some of the ministers have already expressed their concerns and grievances to state leadership and the party emissary.
The sources said the BJP will keep the 2024 parliamentary elections in mind while taking any decisions on cabinet reshuffle.
When asked as to why the new international airport was not given the entire name of late Manohar Parrikar, Tanavade said that it was the decision of the Centre.
He, however, empathised with the sentiments of a section of people that the full name should have been given to the new airport.