There’s a disquieting quiet that lingers in Goa’s corridors of power. Quite reminiscent of poet litterateur Gilbert Keith Chesterton’s tongue-in-cheek repartee, “The Bible tells us to love our neighbours, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally, they are the same people.” And precisely, 465 days after the Goa State BJP, with a generous help from the Central Government leadership, managed a coup to form the government despite being voted out of power, not all is well with the State’s ruling coalition. And this time, the enemy is within.
What has gone unnoticed over the past two days was a discreet visit by two very senior level BJP functionaries – Avinash Rai Khanna, National Vice President and B L Santhosh, Jt Gen Secretary (Org) to the State. Khanna is the second highest office bearer after Amit Shah BJP’s National Office bearers while Santhosh is a RSS ideologue who believes in the Sangh over anything else. The duo was here for more than just enquiring about the well being of the ailing Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar. Instead, it was a stock-taking of a different kind that may signal the possibility of a gentle shift in power in the State in times to come.
This government’s controversial reign since inception has always been seen as one of the most shocking hijacks of Goan’s electoral mandate. From the moment the Governor with support from the Centre denied the single largest party – the Congress – to form the government in March 2017 to the ruling of Goa by a three-member Cabinet Advisory Committee, this government has left no stones unturned to mock the Constitution of India and established statutes and norms. But then Karma seems to be catching up.
Weeks after the speculation (or hectic backroom discussions and confirmations) that a Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar-led new government with Congress backing would be soon staking a claim to form the government, there seems to be a tactical consensus building up with him as Chief Minister and BJP backing him up. The arrival of the powerful duo from Delhi is being seen as a fact-finding mission with quite a few of BJP fence sitting MLAs backing him. Parrikar’s three-month absence from governance might have been covered by the unprecedented CAC arrangement but his absence from State politics may have loosened his grip on BJP.
PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, despite being from MGP, enjoys a robust relationship with Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. And with a swathe of projects over Rs 10,000 crore in infrastructure alone from Gadkari’s Ministry, Dhavalikar has always been the alternative. However, it was Parrikar’s absence that witnessed the shaking of loyalties of many traditional Parrikar supporters, including key ministers and MLAs in Goa, and even key BJP state unit functionaries. These BJP leaders do not seem to be averse to a leadership by Dhavalikar. No wonder then Bhai had no visitors from Amchem Goem during his treatment. The party that can ditch its Vajpayees and Advanis, can they not ditch one of their most known CMs?
However, the tactical approval by such serious level RSS functionaries in a change of a leadership shift does not augur well for Goa. Remember it is less than a year to go for next Parliamentary polls and Goans aren’t very happy with the way their mandate was violated in 2017. Will a change of guard be affected to polarise voters in time for 2019 elections then? Will Parrikar finally get to complete a whole term as Goa’s CM? Will the minister in charge of the most tainted department of the State (PWD) be elevated to the top job?
Goa! Please brace for more embarrassing leadership ahead.
