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Updated May 22nd, 2021 at 14:52 IST

Ramdas Athawale wants BJP to allot 1-2 seats to RPI(A) for Goa polls, to meet Nadda soon

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale demanded that his party should be allocated one or two seats as a part of the BJP-led alliance in the 2022 Goa Assembly polls.

Reported by: Akhil Oka
Ramdas Athawale, Goa
Image: PTI | Image:self
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Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday demanded that his party should be allocated one or two seats as a part of the BJP-led alliance in the 2022 Goa Assembly polls. Affirming his party's intent to back the saffron party in Goa, the RPI(A) president told the media in Vasco that he will meet BJP president JP Nadda soon to discuss the seat-sharing formula. With 27 seats in the 40-member House, BJP has a comfortable majority at present with Pramod Sawant at the helm of affairs. Next year's polls will be the first electoral contest in the state since the demise of BJP stalwart and ex-Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. 

The evolving political equations in Goa

In the 2017 Goa Assembly polls, BJP suffered a huge blow in the absence of its stalwart leader Manohar Parrikar as it could win only 13 seats in contrast to Congress whose candidates won in 17 constituencies. Moreover, the incumbent CM Laxmikant Parsekar failed to retain his own seat. As none of the two main parties could win a majority on its own, the role of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (3 seats), Goa Forward Party (3 seats), 3 Independents and a lone NCP MLA became very crucial. In an astonishing turn of events, BJP staked claim to form the government with the support of 3 MGP MLAs, 3 GFP MLAs, two Independents and the NCP MLA. Parrikar resigned as the Defence Minister to return as the Chief Minister of Goa to lead this coalition government.

However, a vacuum emerged in the state after he passed away on March 17, 2019. While erstwhile Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant replaced him, the rift within the ruling parties widened. In the next few months, both Deputy CMs in the Parrikar Cabinet- MGP chief Sudin Dhavalikar and GFP president Vijai Sardesai were sacked from the Cabinet. But, BJP consolidated its position completely only after 10 Congress MLAs including Chandrakant Kavlekar, Atanasio Monserrate, Jeniffer Monserratte, Francis Silveira, Philip Nery Rodrigues, Cleaofacio Dias, Wilfred Dsa, Nilkant Halarnkar and Isidor Fernandes joined the saffron party on July 10, 2019. Thus, the Sonia Gandhi-led party is now left with only 5 MLAs. In April this year, Speaker Rajesh Patnekar dismissed the disqualification petitions filed against the 10 Congress legislators. 

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Published May 22nd, 2021 at 14:52 IST

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