Azgaonkar, Pauskar find new party at 1.45 am; Claim MGP had become a family raj party
Team Herald
PANJIM: In another late night political development, two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLAs split and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Tourism Minister Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar and Sanvordem MLA Dipak Pauskar split the MGP Legislative wing and joined BJP before Acting Speaker Michael Lobo at 1.45 am on Wednesday.
After the midnight swearing in ceremony of the Dr Pramod Sawant cabinet this was the second such development in the night.
Azgaonkar and Pauskar had given a letter merging their legislature party with the BJP to the Officiating Speaker at 1.45 am after splitting MGP legislative Wing into MGP (2).
“We, Manohar Ajgaonkar and Deepak Pauskar have agreed to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party. In view of the Sub-Clause (2) of Clause (4) of the Tenth Schedule, and in view of the fact that we constitute 2/3rd of the members of the Legislative Party such merger shall be deemed to have taken place,” the letter said.
Since two out of the three members have merged with the BJP, they are saved by the anti-defection law, which makes it mandatory for two-thirds of a party to break away in case of a split.
The order of merger was immediately issued by Secretary Legislature N B Subedar, “Whereas the MG Legislative Party has decided to merge in the BJP and a communication to that effect has been addressed by two MLAs, namely Ajgaonkar and Deepak Pauskar pursuant to a written communication dated 26th March 2019 and have agreed for such merger of MGLP in BJP.”
“…and whereas the total strength of the MGP is three members and such these two members constitute 2/3rd of the members. Therefore, in view of the above, and taking into consideration sub-para (1) and (2) of para 4 of the Tenth Schedule to the constitution of India, the MGP legislative Party has merged in BJP.”
Criticised for facilitating the late-night defection, Lobo said, “The job of a Speaker is 24 hours. When an MLA wants to meet the Speaker, he has to be available. Both MLAs called me and wanted to meet me, in order to merge with the BJP. I had to meet them.”
MGP has been an alliance partner of the BJP since 2012. Its breakaway lawmakers said they decided on Tuesday evening to merge their faction with the BJP in the interest of the people. The MGP split came hours after party president Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavalikar threatened to withdraw from the BJP-led government citing conspiracy.
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Wanted to merge 8 months ago: Pauskar
Alleging that MGP’s Dhavalikar brothers ‘ill-treated’ them, Sanvordem MLA Deepak Pauskar said that the move for planned eight months ago but due to the illness of the then CM it was held back.
“I was never invited for Central Committee meeting. He never took us into confidence. Keeping us aside Dhavalikar used to take all the decisions and we had questioned him many times,” he said.
On the Shiroda by-polls, he said, “We are alliance partners in BJP government, Sanvordem is BJP constituency, people did not vote for MGP it was for an individual.”
He said that whatever happened in the party for the last 18 months was not good. “Past eight-nine months, we had contacted Parrikar but due to his ill health it could not progress. But now Pramod Sawant has given us justice,” he said.
