For Dhavlikar, this wasn’t a blind shot an infamy. That would have been too huge a risk to take. He is too seasoned to make these remarks and reiterate them and that too on national television without a purpose. As the booze and bikini story sent the temperatures soaring, in the quiet of his temple town, Dhavlikar and his brother Deepak, both ministers analysed the impact of this controversy. What had to be done was done.
Sudin Dhavlikar isn’t really used to living in the shadows. With 2 or 3 MLA’s he is the seasonal kingmaker without whom every government falls short. He adds the salt to the undercooked political dish and picks up at least two cabinet berths for his efforts, which invariably includes a project heavy department like PWD. His party the MGP, doesn’t have an ideological control over parts of Goa it once had in its glorious days, but the political successes of the Dhavlikar brothers have ensured that its presence hasn’t been completely wiped out.
What changed in 2012 was crucial. Manohar Parrikar no longer needed that additional salt in his dish with an absolute majority and a team of independents to give him cushion. But the pragmatic Chief Minister still got the MGP to join his government. The difference though was that they weren’t really needed. This equation began to tell. The Chief Minister very clearly rubbed the sheen off an infrastructure department like the PWD and moved all projects to the GSIDC, which became the big daddy of infrastructure projects. From bridges to roads to highways, it was GHSIDC which planned, selected consultants and executed projects, taking huge chunks away from the PWD pie. Dhavlikar was left with little to do and little to earn. For the state, we mean.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister dealt another blow, not quite envisaged. According to government sources, even monies for projects sanctioned are not being released to the PWD, because of which Dhavlikar has lost the goodwill of the most important class of people for any PWD minister- contractors. There are so many instances of contractors lining up for money and the ministers men having to tell them that the coffers are dry. Knowing the subtle ways of the Parrikar Institute of Management, this could have been a part of a grand plan. To make matters worse, other MLA’s are getting their work done in their constituencies from various departments by directly dialing the CM. For instance Michael Lobo of Calangute cleverly moves multiple files of the same project in various related departments and then uses his relationship with the Chief Minister to get them passed through one of them. Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho, on the other hand has got more projects passed from the Chief Minister than he ever did as Deputy Speaker during Digambar Kamat’s time. Meanwhile the Chief Minister’s altar boys, Benjamin Silva, Avertano Furtado and Caitu Silva have been the recipients of the Chief Ministers love and largesse directly. By contrast, the Dhavlikars have lost out.
As one BJP MLA said in mock seriousness “They have been orphaned”.
The bikini and booze outburst therefore, is being seen in many circles as Sudins shot at redemption, at projecting himself as a leader with Goa’s traditional interests, however removed they may be from Goa’s real interests.
At the same time, with Hindu hardline forces like the Sri Ram Sene knocking at Goa’s doors, Dhavlikar wanted to announce to them “main hoon na” (I’m there). So in a sense, he was positioning himself as a Goenkar Muthalik, with his moral policing mantra, just in case that space became available and significant.
