MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar who toiled to defeat BJP in Goa, gets Cabinet berth

PANAJI: Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) supremo Sudin Dhavalikar who toiled to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa, by aligning with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the Assembly polls, was surprisingly rewarded with a Cabinet berth, much to the chagrin of local BJP karyakartas who fought against the hired TMC cadre imported from West Bengal and other parts of the country by the I-PAC.

According to a PTI report, Goa CM Pramod Sawant today expanded his cabinet by inducting three more MLAs as ministers, including Sudin Dhavalikar, of the MGP.

Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai administered the oath of office to the three new ministers.

Apart from Dhavalikar of the MGP, two BJP MLAs – Nilkant Halarnkar and Subhash Faldesai – took oath.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Raj Bhavan. Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant was present along with other members of the cabinet.

Dhavalikar’s alliance with the TMC was directly responsible for the defeat of at least two BJP MLA candidates during the Assembly polls held on 14th February.

In fact, prior to the polls, Dhavalikar went on record several times to say he will never align with the BJP again and compared a tie-up with the party, akin to committing suicide. MGP workers clashed with BJP supporters in several parts of Goa, including Ponda, Shiroda and parts of North Goa during the polls.

Discontented BJP karyakartas, including BJP MLAs who were not lucky enough to get a Cabinet post, from different parts of Goa privately accused the party of having double-standards for inducting Dhavalikar into the Cabinet.

However, after the poll results were announced on 10th March, Dhavailkar who was charging the former BJP government with corruption and mismanagement did a U-Turn and pledged support to the BJP which emerged as the single largest party in the coastal state.