TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The cold war between alliance partners Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) escalated on Tuesday with BJP Taleigao Mandal president Dattaprasad Naik demanding the dismissal of PWD Minister Ramkrishan (Sudin) Dhavalikar from the cabinet.
Naik said that Dhavalikar has failed to provide proper roads and water supply in the past three years. “I have spoken to my party president and chief minister and conveyed the displeasure about the PWD works in Taleigao and hence my demand to sack the PWD minister from the cabinet,” Naik said.
He said there are better qualified engineers and doctors among the 21 BJP legislators and asked that the PWD portfolio be given to a BJP legislator, and suggested the names of Vishnu Wagh, Siddharth Kunkolienkar and Pramod Sawant.
Naik said that a Rs 8 crore tender was issued in January but the PWD has failed to repair the roads till date. “The works are being purposely delayed and the minister has to answer,” Naik said.
“If the minister isn’t able to handle Taleigao roads, how will he handle the State? It is a shame and he should resign taking responsibility,” Naik said and added that it is due to ministers like Dhavalikar that the BJP is getting tainted.
The differences between the BJP and MGP had figured at a recent meeting where BJP leaders had conveyed to the party brass that the alliance be broken as it could work against the party’s favour in the next election. BJP leaders also fear an MGP resurgence as the party has commenced an undercover campaign in some BJP constituencies.
