Panaji, Oct 7(TNN): Congress on Saturday alleged that Goa Forward Party (GFP) president and town and country planning (TCP) minister Vijai Sardesai is expected to drop water resources minister Vinod Palyekar from the cabinet in a deal with the BJP to ensure he gets a larger ministerial portfolio.

Dropping of Palyekar from the cabinet could also pave the way for BJP MLA and deputy speaker Michael Lobo to be inducted as a minister, Congress alleged.

“The TCP minister is working on a barter system,” Panjikar said, while addressing a press conference. “Sardesai wants to remove a Bahujan Samaj minister as he is only looking for his own benefit.” According to the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), Sardesai’s recent trip to New Delhi to meet chief minister Manohar Parrikar and BJP national president Amit Shah was aimed at influencing the portfolio redistribution that is imminent due to Parrikar’s failing health.

“The TCP minister is only trying to see how he can benefit from the current political uncertainty so that he can get the big portfolios that Parrikar is currently handling,” Panjikar said.

A day earlier, Sardesai had hinted that Lobo could be inducted into the cabinet. Though Sardesai refused to shed more light on the issue, rumours of Palyekar being dropped have been swirling for some time.

Palyekar is a GFP MLA and is one of the three ministers that the GFP has in the coalition government.

Palyekar refuted the Congress’ allegations and reminded the Congress that it was “Vijai, who had fought for the inclusion of his two other colleagues into the cabinet”. “Vijai stands by his people that’s why ‘Goemkars’ stand by him. Vijai knows what a word given by a ‘Goemkar’ means, which is not in the dictionary of the Congress in Goa. Panjikar should desist from the age-old practice of trying to fish in troubled waters as all is well in the ruling coalition and the government headed by Parrikar is safe and stable,” Palyekar said.

Congress pointed out that there was no vacancy within the government unless Sardesai himself planned to step down. “Sardesai can blackmail, put pressure and get his way. He will drop a Bahujan Samaj leader just for his own benefit,” Panjikar said.