BJP achieves twin targets

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

By inducting two former Congress legislators – Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte – into the party fold on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party has killed two birds in one stone.

Firstly, the BJP has succeeded in reducing the strength of the Congress legislators from 16 to 14. Secondly, the senior partner in the coalition government has sent a clear signal to its junior alliance partner – Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party that it will not tolerate adamant conduct over leadership and administrative issues in the absence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has been unable to attend office on health grounds since the last few months.

It may be recalled that the Congress party had been staking claim to form an alternative government in the state alleging that there was no governance in view of the prolonged illness of the Chief Minister and his two cabinet colleagues, who have been replaced three weeks back. The Congress party had been staking the claim, as it was the single largest party in the state assembly.

The BJP has not only succeeded in reducing the number of Congress legislators by two but also disabled the Opposition, which is unable to stake the claim now to form an alternative government in the current political situation. The ruling party has also created unsteadiness in the Opposition camp by poaching

two of its members at a crucial situation.

On the other hand, the act of BJP is considered to be a clear message to its ally MGP that now it should not demand the handing over of the charge of chief minister’s post to the senior-most cabinet minister or try to be decisive in the coalition government.

Political analysts feel that BJP has sent a signal to MGP that it cannot switch sides if their senior leader Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar is not made deputy chief minister or acting chief minister in the absence of Parrikar even as there were reports surfacing that the oldest regional party may join hands with the Opposition if its demands are not met by the senior coalition partner.

In all this political development, Goa Forward Party appears to be a more trusted ally of BJP, as it has communicated to the BJP leadership in New Delhi that it is ready to move ahead with suitable arrangement by its senior partner if Parrikar is not able to continue in office due to his prolonged illness.