PANJIM: Putting to rest months of speculation, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Tuesday announced that Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker and Pernem legislator Rajendra Arlekar will be sworn in as minister in his cabinet.
Parsekar said that the Arlekar would be sworn in on Thursday. Parsekar made the announcement after the core committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that also decided on a reshuffle of portfolios. The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and other party MLAs.
The decision to induct Arlekar in the cabinet was conveyed to the party MLAs by the Defence Minister, sources said.
While Rajendra Arlekar will be sworn into the cabinet, Dy Speaker Anant Shet will be elevated to the position of the Speaker of the Assembly.
Sources said that Arlekar will be given either the PWD or Transport portfolio after his induction on Thursday.
Sources said that following a spate of scams in the Transport and the Public Works Departments, the government has decided to strip Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar of either one of the portfolios and hand it to Arlekar.
“I have been told by my party about my induction in the cabinet. I have not demanded any particular portfolio. I am ready to do any work my party assigns me and I am capable of handling it,” Arlekar told Herald late Tuesday night.
Sources said St Andre MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh’s name was discussed for the Deputy Speaker’s post but he turned down the offer at the meeting.
Sources said that Wagh, who was angling for a cabinet berth, is upset over the decision and kept quiet during the entire meeting.
Speaking to Herald Wagh said he has not received any formal communication from party and he is not sure if any offer is made he would accept it.
“If I accept the offer of Dy Speaker I will have no role to play and will have to be a mute spectator. Hence it is better to remain only an MLA and speak my mind,” he said.
With Wagh turning down the deputy speaker’s post, the names of Cuncolim MLA Rajan Naik and Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldesai are being discussed for the post.
There were many contenders for the vacant cabinet post, created following the resignation of Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco, who had quit in April after his conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court. Several names were discussed over past five months including that of Wagh, Anant Shet, Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, Dr Pramod Sawant and Michael Lobo.
