TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: In a move symbolizing the change of guard, outgoing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar handed a garland to Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza to garland Laxmikant Parsekar, sending a muted signal that D’Souza had surrendered his claim to the top post. After all the clamour and the sound bytes it was ultimately a back down by the deputy chief minister, that allowed the announcement of Laxmikant Parsekar as the new chief minister elect and his subsequent swearing in Saturday evening.
“I am a disciplined solider of the party and cannot go against it. I was happy that I was one amongst the aspirants, but the majority always wins. (I had) no other option then to accept it,” D’Souza said after the BJP Legislature Party meeting, though he professed to be still upset.
“I was, or basically am, very upset, when I came to know that someone (Parsekar) is nominated without any consultation; neither with me nor with any party MLAs. Since now he is elected with majority of votes, I have to abide by the decision,” was all D’Souza could muster by way of a response.
Before the meeting, D’Souza claimed that he is ‘not okay’ with the decision to appoint Parsekar as the CM. “I am not okay with the decision. Let’s see…the meeting will happen now and all the 21 MLAs will give their say,” he had told media.
Michael Lobo, who was the first to voice his support to D’Souza also changed his stand. “The party is supreme. It is above all of us. He (D’Souza) had to be elevated, but we abide by the party decision,” he said, before entering the BJP headquarters meeting hall.
All this was a visible climb down from Friday, when D’Souza was at his most vociferous: “If I am not made the chief minister, I will not be part of the government,” D’Souza had told the media, claiming to have support of 12 legislators. D’Souza, however, was more receptive to the idea of Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shripad Naik being made chief minister.
