Team Herald
PANJIM: Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, who is presently the chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), said he will step down from the post only after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asks him to do so.
There are speculations of former Congress MLA Dayanand Sopte, who switched over his loyalty to the BJP just recently, taking over as the GTDC Chairman.
“Nobody has asked me to resign from GTDC post. When my party (BJP) will ask me to do so, I will step down. Not only as GTDC Chairman but if the party wishes, I will also resign as minister. I have no attachments to these posts but I won’t quit as MLA because it was only for Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and it was because of my respect and love for him that I was going to step down,” Cabral informed Herald.
In 2017, Cabral had volunteered to vacate his seat as Curchorem MLA to pave way for Parrikar to contest by-poll from his constituency after latter’s return to the helm of State affairs.
Official sources said that Sopte and ex-Congress MLA from Shiroda Subhash Shirodkar, who also walked along Sopte’s path, will be awarded chairmanship of GTDC and EDC respectively on Monday. The present incumbents were also expected to resign on the same day; however with Cabral’s fresh remark, it is a wait and watch situation for Sopte who around 10 days ago had claimed to replace Cabral as GTDC chairman.
On the other hand, Sidharth Kuncalienkar is expected to tender his resignation as EDC Chairman.
