He is one of the few politicians who has ever openly spoken of wanting to be chief minister. Most politicians usually deny harbouring this ambition, though in private they speak otherwise and accept the position graciously. Lobo’s comments came a day after Congress alleged that the government wanted to call a one-day session of the State Legislative Assembly before May 23, the day when the Lok Sabha and by-poll votes will be counted, to elect a new Speaker. Since the resignation of Pramod Sawant as Speaker to take office as chief minister, Lobo as Dy Speaker has been officiating as Speaker.
Lobo’s exact words when he made this remark were, “I wanted to be chief minister, party did not make me one but still I stayed thinking they will make me in future.” He went on to add sarcastically, “If party forces me to become chief minister I will but if party forces me to become Speaker I don’t want. Right now I am happy as Dy Speaker as I can take up issues.” He has turned down the opportunity of becoming Speaker, but Lobo’s dreams of becoming chief minister are unlikely to realise anytime soon, as the party is not inclined to change their leader who has taken office just recently.
The new chief minister is not even two months in saddle and having taken office during the period during which the election code of conduct was on has not been able to deliver. Sawant has to be given a chance to lead the government, a coalition government led by his party that is in minority and is depending on the results of the by-polls to increase its strength in the State Assembly so as to get a firmer grip on the loose alliance that is currently in power. It is only after the results of the by-polls are out that it will be possible to gauge the stability of this government. After that will the government be able to work?
Sawant is perhaps the best bet from among the party MLAs that the BJP had following the death of Manohar Parrikar. Though there was a delay in announcing his name, the party did not look beyond him at the time of selecting a successor to Parrikar, and the delay was to get the concurrence of the allies. He may be young, and with little experience of running a government, as he has never been a minister, but Lobo too does not have any experience in administration for the party to look towards him. The dearth of experience among the BJP ranks showed at the time of selecting a new chief minister, in fact it was exposed in 2017, when BJP had to bring back Parrikar to Goa to lead the hastily cobbled coalition.
Given this background, Lobo’s remarks will not be taken kindly by the Bharatiya Janata Party that has prided itself on the discipline. It could also stir some unrest among the MLAs, who also have chief ministerial ambitions but are silent about them, and even lead to some misgivings within the party organisation. This, however, is not the first time that Lobo has said something that would not be palatable to the party.
So, Lobo will remain Deputy Speaker, and the Legislative Assembly will have a new Speaker. Dy Speaker, he says, is what he wants as it will help him take up people’s issues. But before he aims for the CM’s position, he has to show Goa what he can do with his constituency Calangute, give it a makeover from the cluttered streets and dirty beaches, and then stake claim for the big prize. He has to show he is worthy of the position.
