Rupesh Samant

Panaji, Mar 27: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will drop his deputy and MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar from the cabinet later during the day, a senior official said.

A senior official from Chief Minister’s office confirmed that Dhavalikar would be dropped later during the day, replacing him with Dipak Pawaskar, MGP MLA who along with his colleague Manohar Ajgaonkar had broken away from the parent organisation to merge legislature party into BJP.

During the wee hours of Wednesday, Ajgaonkar who is State tourism minister along with Pawaskar, submitted the letter merging the MGP legislature party into BJP.

Sources close to the Chief Minister said that Dhavalikar would be dropped from the cabinet during the day.

“BJP has called for emergency meeting of its MLAs and office bearers at its head office in Panaji on Wednesday during which the merger of MGP MLAs into the party would be discussed,” he said.

“During the meeting, it would be decided to drop Dhavalikar and replace Pawaskar in his place in the cabinet,” sources stated.

Dhavalikar was designated as deputy chief minister along with Goa Forward Party’s Vijai Sardesai, last week, by Sawant.

The MGP MLA is holding portfolios of Transport and Public Works Department in Sawant-led cabinet.

Two of the total three MLAs from MGP during wee hours of Wednesday joined BJP increasing the strength of Amit Shah-led party to 14. The strength of MGP has been reduced to mere one, while three each are from Goa Forward Party and Independents. Congress has 14 MLAs while one is from NCP.