Team Herald
PANJIM: With Chief Minister Pramod Sawant meeting Governor PS Shreedharan Pillai at Raj Bhavan on Thursday morning, the Cabinet reshuffle now seems to be a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.
While the official reason for the CM-Governor meeting was the relocation of the four government-run professional colleges on the University campus – Goa College of Architecture, Goa College of Pharmacy, Goa College of Arts and Goa College of Music in the University campus – sources suggested that the reshuffle could happen as soon this weekend, when the current Parliament session ends, or early next week.
The CM himself addressed the question of the much-talked-about reshuffle last week, when he said that the reorganisation of his council of ministers would be done due to political compulsions, keeping an eye on the 2027 Assembly elections, and after discussions with the Central leadership. He hinted at dropping “one or two” ministers, but said that all of them were
performing well.
Among the names of ministerial hopefuls generating the strongest buzz was Delilah Lobo, the Siolim MLA and wife of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo. Significantly, the CM had addressed BJP workers in Calangute last week, saying that Lobo would be rewarded in “due course” and crediting him for the development in his constituency.
In Siolim, a flurry of activity could be seen outside the office of Delilah, with many workers in a joyful mood after news started spreading of their legislator being a frontrunner for a ministerial berth. While O Heraldo got in touch with her, she smiled and said that she was not aware of any such political development, but other well-placed sources confirmed that her induction into the ministry was an open-and-shut case.
According to sources, the other strong contender for joining the Cabinet is the old warhorse Digambar Kamat. The former Chief Minister is one of the eight MLAs who moved from Congress to BJP after the 2022 Assembly elections, and his seniority and hold over the important seat of Margao may swing things in his favour, the grapevine suggested.
Although a minor one, the last reshuffle happened in December 2023, when Nilesh Cabral was dropped and Aleixo Sequeira was brought in as a Cabinet Minister. Sequeira’s name is doing the rounds as one of those who might be moved out of the Cabinet.
Goa’s summer air is heavy with anticipation and multiple other MLAs’ names have cropped up, but the Chief Minister and the party leadership have remained tight-lipped about the Cabinet reshuffle and whether it will happen soon. BJP State president Damodar ‘Damu’ Naik told O Heraldo, “CM and I have discussed the Cabinet reshuffle with the party high command. The envelope is sealed and the reshuffle will happen at the right time.”
However, it is obvious from the CM’s statements on “political compulsions” of a reshuffle that his government – and by extension, his party – are rearranging the chessboard keeping in mind the State elections two years away. His recent statements about BJP gearing up to fight from Mandrem and Priol – both with a strong base of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) voters, an alliance partner – are indicative of this. As recently as Tuesday, party president Damu Naik spoke about strengthening the party in all 40 constituencies in the State.
As the government shifts gears, a number of factors like caste equations and the Hindutva plank will dictate all political moves, including the Cabinet reshuffle. Significantly, Minister Vishwajit Rane declared late on Thursday that Goa should be the “capital of Sanatan Dharma” and that the movement for this would start from Sattari and Usgao, both part of his Assembly seat of Valpoi.