Goa Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manohar Parrikar is suffering from a pancreatic ailment which has led to him being hospitalized more than once in this year alone. Currently the Goa CM is admitted in New Delhi’s All India Institute for Medical Sciences where he is receiving treatment after his condition became serious. Manohar Parrikar had asked Sudin Dhavalikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) to take over as his deputy in his absence, Dhavalikar was previously the number two in the Goa cabinet after Parrikar and he held the Public Works Department. But Parrikar’s illness gave Congress and other opposition parties the chance to try its hands at vulture politics by sowing seeds of discontentment between members of the Goa Forward Party, MGP and BJP. The BJP government in Goa was formed in coalition with three members each from MGP and GFP, 3 Independent MLAs and with 12 members of the BJP.
Manohar Parrikar’s illness has heightened the excitement of the Congress leaders who are waiting with their 16 MLAs to seize this opportunity to form their government in the state. Goa Congress MLAs are all set to meet Governor Mridula Sinha to stake their claims for forming government in the state. The meeting which is going to be held at the Governor’s official residence at 6:30 pm was called by the Governor after hearing Congress’s multiple demands for dismissal of the current state government and of dissolving the state Legislative Assembly. The Congress leadership in the state have alleged that there is a disruption in the functioning of the state government and the function has come to a standstill in the state. The Congress leaders have also alleged that they have the required numbers to prove their majority in the house which would not be possible unless there is poaching involved. The Congress has just 16 MLAs of its own, BJP enjoyed the support of 22 MLAs, even if Congress has now got the support of the two other MLAs from the 40 strong house it would still be impossible for it to form government in Goa.
The Congress therefore has been indulging in poaching and has tried to lure MLAs from the incumbent government as soon as Parrikar’s health got a bit under the weather. This is a cheap trick applied by the Congress leadership to gain power in the state at a time when the stalwart from BJP is not able to lead and defend from the front. Congress needs to introspect its own actions in the state and then decide whether this is a classic case of vulture politics or not. The BJP government in the state is under no threat but the Congress leaders having been raising rumours which have led to speculations that the government in the state is in grave danger. The party needs to be ashamed of its dirty tricks and should keep this saved as a template to be seen the next time when it think of trying to accuse the BJP of being an opportunistic party. This should also serve as a lesson to the voters of the country who need to follow each move by the Congress to fathom their nature and their dirty politics.