CM’s DAY OUT….
11 AM: Chaired key meetings at the Secretariat.
12.30 PM: Led a meeting with industry leaders; warned against youth exploitation.
4 PM: Attended MLA Michael Lobo’s birthday in Parra; shared light-hearted banter.
7 PM: Shock move — recommended Minister Govind Gaude’s sacking, accepted by Governor.
8 PM : Seen singing bhajans at a Hari Path in Sanquelim, unfazed by political drama.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Panaji: It was just another day at the office – at least on the surface – for Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant. Meetings, photo ops, policy discussions, and even a birthday bash for a fellow MLA. Nothing out of the ordinary. No visible storm clouds, no sign of unrest. But by sunset, the political weather in Goa had shifted dramatically.
In a move that stunned even the political insiders, CM Sawant, late on Monday evening, recommended the sacking of Art & Culture Minister Govind Gaude, a recommendation swiftly acted upon by the Governor. The news hit just after 7 PM, leaving many to scramble for details of what had quietly brewed beneath the calm exterior of the day.
The sacking came weeks after Gaude’s public outbursts, where he levelled indirect but scathing accusations of corruption at none other than the Chief Minister himself. Though the controversy sparked headlines, CM Sawant had consistently maintained a monk-like composure, refusing to take the bait or even acknowledge the storm. Until now.
Earlier in the day, the CM chaired a high-level meeting with top industry players and government functionaries on employment generation, sternly warning industries not to take Goan youth for granted.
“We will not tolerate exploitation in the name of employment,” he said, in a tone that now, in hindsight, seems heavier with meaning.
Just a few hours later, the CM was seen at Parra, flashing his trademark smile at the birthday celebrations of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo. “Acche Din are coming for Michael Lobo,” he joked into the microphone – a line that drew laughter then, but now rings with layered irony. There was no sign of the political axe that was about to fall.
Then, almost like a twist from a political thriller, news broke that Minister Gaude had been dropped from the Cabinet. No press conference, no statement, no drama. Just a one-line announcement from Raj Bhavan, acting on the CM’s advice.
Where was the CM while his phone buzzed relentlessly for comment? At a bhajan gathering.
Yes, while journalists frantically tried to get a soundbite, CM Sawant was in Sanquelim, immersed in the devotional strains of “Hari Path” organised by the Varkari Sampraday ahead of the annual Aashadhi Waari pilgrimage to Pandharpur.
Dressed in traditional attire, he joined the faithful in singing praises of Lord Vitthal – serene, composed, and completely unfazed by the political tremors he had just triggered.
Political observers couldn’t help but marvel at the image – a Chief Minister who had just dropped a bombshell, sitting cross-legged and clapping rhythmically to bhajans like a man with no burdens.
Some called it “masterful messaging,” others called it “cold and calculated,” but most agreed – it was classic Pramod Sawant.
Govind Gaude, a vocal and sometimes volatile figure in the Cabinet, had clearly crossed an invisible line. His recent verbal volleys, laced with allegations and frustrations, made headlines but didn’t seem to shake the CM’s composure. Until Monday night, when the axe finally fell.
Sources within the BJP suggest the decision wasn’t impulsive. It had been simmering for some time, waiting for the right moment – a moment that came wrapped in bhajans and religious harmony, perhaps to send a signal that the government was unmoved, even serene, in the face of dissent.
Back in Sanquelim, the dholkis thumped and cymbals clanged as the CM raised his hands in devotion. To the common observer, it was a picture of spirituality. To the politically attuned, it was something else entirely – power exercised in silence, and politics played with poise.
How cool was that Mr CM? Very. Icy, in fact.
