Goa elections 2017: BJP minister Ramesh Tawadkar quits cabinet, set to join MGP

Goa Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar resigned on Sunday from the cabinet and as a member of the state Legislative Assembly, and is likely to join the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) on Monday.

"I have resigned as a minister. I have sent my resignation to the Chief Minister. I have also resigned as member of state Legislative Assembly," Tawadkar said.

He submitted the resignation late this evening after holding an hour-long meeting with MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar. Tawadkar said he would resign from BJP on Monday. However, when asked, he refused to reveal whether he would join the MGP.

When contacted, MGP chief Dipak Dhavalikar said Tawadkar would join his party (MGP) on Monday after resigning from BJP. "He would be contesting on MGP ticket from Canacona constituency," he said.

There are reports that Tawadkar was upset as he has been denied ticket by the BJP to contest the upcoming polls from Canacona constituency. However, BJP is yet to release its list of candidates officially. The MGP, Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and NDA ally Shiv Sena have recently formed a "grand alliance" for Goa assembly polls, scheduled to be held on February 4.

While GSM was floated by RSS rebel Subhash Velingkar, MGP, the oldest regional outfit of the state, recently severed its ties with the BJP and pulled out its two ministers from the Laxmikant Parsekar cabinet.