Rupesh Samant

Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Mar 27: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday claimed that both the MGP MLAs who broke away from the party and joined BJP last night, did it for the stability of the government.

“With two MLAs joining BJP, our strength has gone up to 14. Both of them have joined BJP to ensure stability of the government,” Sawant told reporters, minutes after state tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar and Dipak Pawaskar joined Amit Shah-led party.

During the wee hours of Wednesday, two out of total three MLAs gave a letter to officiating Speaker Michael Lobo merging the legislature party into BJP.

Third MLA Sudin Dhavalikar has not signed the letter.

Ajgaonkar said that he was feeling unsafe in the party after one of senior General Secretary Lavoo Mamlatdar was recently expelled by MGP President Dipak Dhavalikar.

MGP’s Central Committee, last week, had expelled Mamlatdar after he wrote letter to Speaker urging him not to entertain any communication without his signature.

Ajgaonkar said that MGP, as it is today, is far away from its basic principles of working for downtrodden community.

Talking to reporters, Pawaskar said that during the last two years as tenure of MLA, he was never invited to attend the meeting of Central Committee of the party.

“Both Dhavalikar brothers (Sudin and Dipak) never took us into confidence,” he said.

Pawaskar said that the probability of both of them joining BJP was discussed with then CM Manohar Parrikar. “But somehow, it could not be followed up due to health conditions of Parrikar,” he said.

While Ajgaonkar represents Pernem Assembly constituency in North Goa, Pawaskar got elected from Sanvordem Assembly constituency during 2017 Goa elections.

Meanwhile, Sawant is expected to drop Sudin Dhavalikar, who was recently designated as deputy chief minister, from the cabinet, later during the day.

BJP has called an emergency meeting of its MLAs and office bearers in the morning to discuss about the merger of two MLAs into the party.

The meeting will also decide on dropping Dhavalikar from the cabinet and inducting Pawaskar in his place, sources stated.