Outcome awaited; alliance is on, says CM
Special Correspondent
Panaji: In view of the anti-Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) stance taken by its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the local level, MGP on Tuesday sought the intervention of national BJP leaders in New Delhi even as Goa unit of BJP said the future of BJP-MGP alliance will be decided at the right time.
Senior MGP leader and Power Minister Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar and his brother Pandurang ‘Deepak’ Dhavalikar, who is MGP president, met BJP’s National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh in the national capital and discussed the future of BJP-MGP alliance with him. They were also expected to meet Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah.
Sources said that Dhavalikar brothers have gone on the defensive seeking to maintain the status quo in the cabinet. There is a possibility that the BJP’s central leadership may ask Dhavlikars to merge the party with BJP sooner or later.
In 2019, the central leadership had reportedly offered chief ministership to Sudin Dhavalikar following the demise of then chief minister Manohar Parrikar, provided MGP merged with BJP.
Dhavalikar brothers also told the BJP national leadership that BJP party leaders from Goa should restrict their attack on MGP, as such an act is against the coalition dharma.
It may be noted that cracks had appeared in this alliance after the Chief Minister, during his recent meetings with party workers from Mandrem and Priol, had asserted BJP’s claim over the Mandrem and Priol constituencies for the 2027 state assembly election. Minister for Art and Culture Govind Gaude has also said that there was no need for the BJP-MGP alliance.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that BJP’s alliance with MGP “is on”.
State BJP president Damu Naik, however, told pressmen that the main focus of BJP is to strengthen its organisation in all 40 electoral constituencies in the state.
“We are organising constituency-wise workers’ meets with the same objective,” he said, stating that the BJP government in the state is stable and the decision about the future of BJP-MGP alliance will be taken at the right time.
Naik also said the future of political alliance of BJP with any party is a long exercise, which includes meetings, ground-level survey, preparation of related report and finally meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board to reach at the right decision.
Replying to a question as regards Dhavalikar brothers visiting New Delhi to meet the national BJP leaders, Naik said that he was informed by the MGP leaders about the same in advance.
In another development, MGP legislator from Mandrem Jit Arolkar said that he was ready to accept the responsibility of MGP president.
“Deepak Dhavalikar has been holding the post of president of MGP for a long period of time, as there was no formidable leader from Bahujan Samaj in the party,” he said, pointing out, “I am ready to take the responsibility, if the MGP central committee is willing to give it to me.”
