IS CHOOSING AND DROPPING MINISTERS STILL CM’s PREROGATIVE by Nisser Dias

Last week Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat was experiencing a storm in the tea cup or rather a little discomfort with some of his cabinet colleagues coming together to plot a scheme to stop him from reshuffling the council of ministers. Among those who got together were those who were supposed to be directly affected as their names figured in the list of minister to be dropped. At the same time there were others who would be indirectly affected of getting their kith and kin elected at the next assembly hustings with the inclusion of a controversial MLA.

Digambar Kamat since becoming a chief minister has weathered a couple of coups to topple him but every time he has managed to cling on to his ‘Kodel’. Of course all his visits to numerous religious places and also to the High Command must be paying dividends. But out of the entire ploy one question has emerged, ‘is choosing and dropping ministers still the chief minister’s prerogative’? Or does he take and executes orders from High Commands of different political parties? Or does he crumble under the pressures and tantrums from his own ministers?

The controversy seems to have started with some communiqué from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to reinstate tainted Benaulim MLA in the cabinet by dropping one of their own. I can say that Mickky Pacheco did impress his party bigwigs with his birthday bash last week. He seems to have subtly convinced them that only he can increase some more seats in the assembly for the party provided he is appointed as a minister. And that got the party bosses working overtime to induct him into the cabinet.

To counter this move NCP ministers Jose Philip D’souza and Nilkant Harlankar sought the support of some Congress heavy weights to pressurize the chief minister not to upset their applecart. However to their bad luck the local NCP leadership used to the opportunity to try to discipline the mavericks and demanded their resignation. As of now the two ministers have refused and even the chief minister has refused to give in to the NCP demand to drop the ministers. Of course Kamat has sought time to seek advice of his high command.

Undoubtedly Digambar Kamat is also playing his game very shrewdly as I do not think he wants Mickky Pacheco in his cabinet specially after the latter upon being released from jail bad mouthed the former in the assembly. I feel the chief minister if he has any credibility should stick to his guns and oppose Benaulim MLA’s inclusion in the cabinet as Crime Branch and CBI are investigating his alleged involvement in alleged culpable homicide and money laundering respectively. These are serious crimes and the government should give an opportunity to these agencies not only to investigate but to present their cases before the court without fear. Once anointed as a minister he would enjoy a huge clout which could be used to influence witnesses.

Why would the former Tourism minister who has bad mouthed the chief minister and demanded an investigation against him want to be included in his cabinet? I did not elaborate that along with minister-ship comes a horde of benefits which the Benaulim MLA have missed for almost six months and without power he is feeling like fish out of water. I do not think any likeminded Goan would want a disgraced and jailed MLA as a minister.

Be that as it may, can other ministers plot to force the chief minister not to drop or induct any minister? That NCP ministers were trying to safe guard their position can be understood. What was the reason for the Alemaos and Monseratte to extend their support to those ministers on whom the axe was dangling? And that too when till recently PWD minister Churchill Alemao was publicly demanding that Congress go it alone at the next assembly election.

For the Navelim legislator keeping Mickky Pacheco away from the cabinet is an advantage as it makes Churchill’s job much easier of getting his daughter Valanka elected from Benaulim constituency. If Benaulim MLA is inducted as minister then he will surely be a thorn in PWD minister’s side.

But the chief minister seems to be keeping his cards close to his chest by refusing to be impulsive. These few months before the elections is very crucial to all the MLAs specially the ministers who wants to accumulate as much spoils of the position to woo the voters in the next election. Every politician is trying to form coteries or groups either by fielding family members and relatives otherwise close associates so that they have leverage to bargain before formation of a new government. Digambar Kamat knows this very well and he lets the carrot dangle till such time he can get a good bargain for himself.

Finally a parting shot, Goans just celebrated Goa’s 50 years of Liberation from the colonial rule of the Portuguese. Sadly though our politicians especially those elected to the Legislative Assembly have done much more damage to Goa in 50 years which the Portuguese could not do in 450 years. It is time now the Goa brethren along the length and breadth of the world join hands to destroy our own enemies and free Goa from the bondage of the 40 politicians who repeatedly get elected using money and muscle power to carry further destruction of the state. Till such time Goans do not come together to destroy the scourge our future and that of our generations to come is doomed.