BJP awaiting report of its central team from Goa

The hunt for an “acceptable” successor to ailing Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar is proving to be a daunting task for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sources in the party said they were awaiting the report from three central observers — BL Santhosh, Ram Lal and Vinay Puranik — who are in Goa.

The observers have met BJP’s allies and Independent legislators. The allies have reportedly told the observers that they would agree with the party on whatever political decision it takes. However, they insist on a permanent solution to the situation arising out of Parrikar’s illness. Absence of a full-time chief minister is affecting the state’s administration, they said.

Within the BJP, Union minister Sripad Naik is seen as a strong contender for the post. While ally MGP is keen on having Ramkrishna Dhavlikar, other components of the alliance may not be happy with his candidature. There are dissenters within the BJP as well, with MLA Nilesh Cabral voicing his opposition to the protocol put in place by Parrikar, which involves a three-minister committee, and a slew of powers in the hands of Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma and Parrikar’s Principal Secretary P Krishnamurthy.

Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo has also openly criticised the government for its lack of decision making. The BJP has 14 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly, while GFP and MGP have three each. Congress has 16 MLAs, while its ally NCP has one.