PANJIM: The political leadership vacuum in the State is not restricted to the BJP, whose leader, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has been away for medical treatment, but extends to the Congress, that is unable to find a replacement to State unit president Shantaram Naik who resigned last month, even as Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavalekar is busy sorting out police investigations against him.
Parrikar is undergoing treatment in USA since March 6 and is likely to return to Goa next month. In his absence, with no minister appointed to act as the Chief Minister, the State administration is being handled by a specially-constituted Cabinet Advisory Committee (CAC), which is also monitored by Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma. The Cabinet is not meeting and decisions are being taken through circulation.
In the absence of Parrikar, the government is in a tight spot over the mining crisis. Over a week after the CAC resolved to file a review petition in the iron ore lease renewal matter, there has been no further move taken place. Also, employment generation in the government sector has taken a toll as the Special Empowered Committee, constituted to clear vacancies in various departments, is headed by the Chief Minister.
“We are hopeful that the Chief Minister will be back this month end. We are feeling his absence. CAC is not empowered to handle the situation. We are sure things will fall in place once Chief Minister comes back and takes charge,” Art and Culture Minister Govind Gawade said recently.
Sources confirmed that the Parrikar-led empowered committee on recruitments had held its first informal meeting in December 2017 and was suppose to meet again to clear vacancies. “The committee was also supposed to decide on policy for regularising the contractual workers. However, before it could meet, Parrikar fell ill,” sources said.
While BJP, in the absence of Parrikar, is trying to ensure the smooth functioning of the party, the Congress, as is usual, is dragging its feet over the appointment of new party chief.
Over a week ago AICC secretary and Goa desk in charge Dr Chellakumar held a consultation exercise with MLAs and senior Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) members, to shortlist candidates. However, the announcement is still awaited.
Congress, it appears, had not learnt anything from past mistakes. After having power slip out of their hands, as they delayed in appointing a legislative leader after the results of the February 2017 polls, Congress is still dragging its feet on appointing a State party chief. The reason for the delay could be attributed to the party’s internal conflict, wherein the PCC and CLP are divided over who should be the next State President.
A similar fight and delay had scuttled their hopes of forming the government in March last year despite, with 17 MLAs, it being the single largest party.
MLA Digambar Kamat and AICC secretary Girish Chodankar are the front runners for the GPCC president post, while some senior members are also trying to head the organisation.
“The official announcement has to come from INC President Rahul Gandhi. Our Goa desk in charge has already submitted his report. Currently, Rahul is busy with the Karnataka elections. But we are hopeful that the name of the new party president will come by this week,” Leader of the Opposition Kavalekar, who himself is busy making the rounds of the courts in the disproportionate assets, said.
Kavalekar and his wife Savita, who is member of the Mahila Congress, have been booked by ACB for holding assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Kavalekar is often seen shifting between one court to another over his anticipatory bail plea.
On the party president issue, party sources too appear confused, as a few believe that the new president may be announced this week after April 12 – Shantaram Naik’s birthday – while others claim that the announcement may be only after the Karnataka elections, next month.
