Team Goemkarponn
Panaji:
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Tuesday ruled out any cabinet reshuffle in Goa before the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Assembly, stating that any decision regarding his induction would be taken by the BJP’s top leadership.
“There will be no cabinet changes before the Monsoon Session,” Lobo told reporters. “My induction into the cabinet, if it happens, will be decided by the BJP High Command, the Chief Minister, and the State BJP President. It’s not something for me to demand or speculate on.”
Lobo’s remarks come a day after he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, accompanied by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. The closed-door meeting, which lasted nearly an hour, triggered widespread political speculation about a possible cabinet reshuffle in Goa and Lobo’s potential re-entry into the ministerial fold.
Clarifying the purpose of the meeting, Lobo said it had been pending for some time. “It was a long-overdue meeting with Hon’ble Amit Shah Ji. We discussed the political situation in Goa and our roadmap for the 2027 Assembly elections,” he said.
The meeting gained significance due to the presence of CM Sawant, further fuelling speculation about political realignments within the BJP. However, both leaders have remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the discussions.
Lobo, once a senior minister in the Sawant cabinet, had defected to the Congress in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly elections but returned to the BJP later that year. His re-entry into the party was seen as a strategic move by the BJP, though he has since remained without a cabinet position.
With murmurs of discontent brewing within sections of the ruling party and ongoing speculation about a reshuffle to balance regional and community representation, the Lobo-Shah-Sawant meeting came under sharp media and political scrutiny.
Party insiders suggest that while no immediate changes are expected, the central leadership is assessing the performance and political positioning of key figures ahead of the 2027 polls. Lobo’s visibility and proximity to central leaders have added to the buzz.
Despite the speculation, Lobo maintained that he stands by the party’s decision-making process. “The BJP functions through a collective leadership. Whatever is best for the party and the state will be done at the appropriate time,” he said.
For now, Lobo’s statement appears to have calmed reshuffle rumours — at least until the Monsoon Session concludes.
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