PANJIM: The decisions for a sudden reshuffle and stripping of portfolios of ministers Dayanand Mandrekar and Alina Saldanha were taken at a performance audit of ministers undertaken by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
However, removing Mandrekar’s and Saldanha’s portfolios has left ministers in the Parsekar cabinet red-faced. Investigations by Herald reveal that several complaints by legislators, and even senior ministers, led to the two ministers losing some of their portfolios.
“Mandrekar as panchayat minister had become very arrogant and had been at logger-heads with many ministers as well as MLAs and the CM as well as the defence minister had received several complaints against him,” sources in the BJP told Herald.
Mandrekar was at loggerheads with many MLAs including Calangute MLA Michael Lobo amongst others.
“When Raksha Mantri Parrikar and Chief Minister Parsekar decided to undertake a performance audit they realised there were many complaints against Mandrekar as well as Saldanha, and they were stripped of some portfolios,” sources revealed.
What went against Saldanha was her constant disapproval of government policies and decisions.
“Saldanha had openly opposed the government
decision on marinas and Mopa airport,” sources said.
Saldanha had also threatened to resign from the cabinet during the Zilla Panchayat elections if her candidate was not given party ticket. “At another time she flexed her muscles with then chief minister Manohar Parrikar when she made a statement that she would not allow the lifting of mining dumps from forest areas,” sources said.
Sources said that with elections just about a year and a half away, senior BJP leaders did not want to displease any of the MLAs and hence had to take a tough decision.
Sources said that the portfolios of the Dhavalikar brothers were kept untouched as Parrikar wanted the coalition to continue till the next elections.
