Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The confusion on whether the BJP will take support from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party continued with Dr. Pramod Sawant leaving out the party and independent MLAs in the first round of swearing-in of Cabinet ministers.
The MGP had extended support to the BJP government on the day election results were declared on March 10 after Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to him over the phone.
However, there has been no clarity on whether BJP will take support or not as at least five of the nine-member Cabinet had opposed taking support of Sudin Dhavalikar.
Ravi Naik, Govind Gaude, Babush Monseratte, Subash Shirodkar, and Nilesh Cabral had opposed Sudin Dhavalikar getting a cabinet berth.
Soon after the announcement of CM and Sawant and Devendra Fadnavis announcing that the government has a strength of 25, including two MGP and three independents, there was a meeting between at least 10 BJP MLAs, which also included Nilkanth Halarnkar opposing to Sudin getting Cabinet berth.
Apart from Sudin Dhavalikar, the most likely MLA to be sworn in on Monday was Curtorim’s independent MLA, Aleixo Reginald Lourenco.
Lourenco, along with Chandrakant Shetye (Bicholim) and Anton Vaz (Cortalim), had extended support to the BJP on March 10.
Sources in the BJP said that Sudin and Reginald will get their place in the second round of Cabinet expansion.
“Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda were present, only BJP MLAs were sworn in,” sources revealed.
They added that there are three more berths, two of them are likely for Sudin and Reginald, and one is unknown now.
It is being said that Goa Forward president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, an ally of the Congress, is also expected to extend support to this government. If Vijai does so, he may be the third minister to be sworn in in the second round.
