Goa CM Manohar Parrikar flies to Delhi today for treatment, BJP busy finding alternative

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has been in and out of hospital past several months. He has been suffering from acute pancreatic ailment since long. Given this, he had gone to US for his medical check-up and happened to return last week only. Earlier this week, he was again admitted to a hospital in Goa but his health seems to go down hill. Owing to this, the ailing Chief Minister was then transfered to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on Saturday for further treatment. The medical emergency cropped up at a time, when the BJP is exploring options in the state.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to send a team to Goa on Monday to find an alternative to Parrikar, reported NDTV. While Parrikar is said to have spoken to BJP Chief Amit Shah and expressed his desire to temporarily handover the Chief ministership due to his worrying health.

On Friday, Mr Parrikar met with the alliance party ministers in his cabinet at the private hospital. The Goa unit of BJP too conducted a meeting of its state-level core committee and later met Mr Parrikar. According to sources, “The central team that will visit Goa on Monday will include Ram Lal and BL Santosh. They will work towards identifying a ‘stand-in’ for Mr Parrikar until there is greater clarity on his health.”

If the reports are to be believed, Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), a coalition partner and senior most minister in the Parrikar led government will be handed over the charge of the remaining 18 months governance.  Meanwhile, BJP sources have refused the report saying, “It will be decided after the BJP observer meet MLAs of BJP and alliance partners on Monday.

As Parrikar’s worrying health is a topic of discussion in politics, and opposition parties are alleging that administration had ‘collapsed’ due to his absence. Opposition has also demanded that the BJP-led state government should be dismissed and President’s rule to be imposed in Goa. The BJP’s defence has included explanations like Mr Parrikar’s presence in the US was more useful for governing Goa because of a 12-hour time difference.

During his first visit to US for medical treatment, which lasted for few months, Parrikar had formed a Cabinet Advisory Committee of ministers Sudin Dhavalikar, Francis D’Souza and Vijai Sardesai to look after governance. No such committee was formed during his second and third visit to the US, but instead, he delegated powers to the Chief Secretary to look after important issues.

There are reports suggesting that the party may be replacing two ailing ministers in the Goa cabinet — Pandurang Madkaikar and Francis D’Souza — as both of them are also hospitalised.

Also read: Manohar Parrikar returns to India after treatment in US