Team Herald
PANJIM: Amidst claims and counter-claims of defections from the BJP and Congress, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar landed in Goa, Thursday, from the US, where he had gone for medical treatment in the last week of August.
The Chief Minister arrived at Dabolim airport around 5.30 pm from Mumbai. He had earlier landed in Mumbai on his return journey from the US.
During Parrikar’s absence, there had been speculation of four Congressmen switching over to BJP, which the Congress countered and claimed that three BJP MLAs were in talks with them.
Returning from the US, the Chief Minister’s priority would be a reshuffle in the cabinet and appointment of two new ministers. Sources in the party said that appointment of two new ministers is on cards due to the illness of Ministers Francis D’Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar.
Parrikar underwent treatment in the US for a pancreatic ailment for nearly three months earlier this year. After returning in the last week of June, he flew to the US again on August 10 for what was described as a follow-up visit, and returned to Panjim on August 22. But he had to be rushed to Mumbai the next day and was admitted to a private hospital. From there, he flew to the US for treatment for a third time on August 30.
During his three-month-long treatment in the US, Parrikar had formed a Cabinet Advisory Committee of ministers Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar, Francis D’Souza and Vijai Sardesai to look after governance.
No such committee was formed during his second and third visit to the US, but instead he delegated powers to the Chief Secretary to handle important issues.
The Congress had alleged that the administration had ‘collapsed’ due to Parrikar’s absence, and demanded that the BJP-led State government name a new chief minister.
