Team Herald
PANJIM/MARGAO: In a sudden move, the Congress on Thursday suspended Savitri Kavlekar from the post of party’s secretary accusing her of being involved in anti-party activities. Savitri, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, was however not available for comments on the allegations levelled by the party.
The development within the party comes weeks after her husband, the then Leader of Opposition along with nine other Congress MLAs quit the party to merge with the ruling BJP. Babu was then awarded with the post of Deputy Chief Minister along with Town & Country Planning portfolio in the current Pramod Sawant-led government.
Though a media statement, GPCC president Girish Chodankar announced that Savitri has been suspended as secretary of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee pending inquiry against her for indulging in anti-party activities. Nanu Bandolkar of Sanguem has also been suspended from the party, he stated. However, Chodankar did not clarify the “anti-party activities.”
Savitri had unsuccessfully contested State Legislative Assembly election from Sanguem constituency on Congress ticket while her husband won in Quepem.
Babu had recently claimed that his wife had joined the BJP but the latter did not officially make any statement.
The Kavlekar husband-wife duo is being investigated by the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) for disproportionate assets, registered in 2017 after nearly five years of inquiry.
Meanwhile, Savitri said, “It is not morally convincing on her part to stay in Congress while her husband is the Deputy Chief Minister of BJP-led state government “.
The Committees of Quepem, Cuncolim, Nuvem, Velim and Canacona have already been dissolved.
Joe Dias, the South Goa President of Goa Pradesh Congress said, “We have called a special meeting on the August 9 hold discussion with regards to the election of block committees”.
