Post-scriptum: In fact, doesn't Dr Wilfred de Souza qualify for a repeat claim when he held the Chief Ministership from 08/04/1994 to 16/12/1994? Alvito Peres da Costa Sydney, Australia
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: RE: [Goanet-News] PROFILE-Digambar Kamat: The survivor (Backstage, in Business Standard)Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 10:20:49 +0000 Methinks Makarand Gadgil has fallen into the notorious trap of excluding non-Hindus from the entitlement to the GSB clan claim. Wasn't Dr Wilfred de Souza (30/07/1998 to 26/11/1998) Congress's 1st GSB Chief Minister in Goa? Alvito Peres da CostaSydney, Australia > Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 14:51:11 +0530> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Goanet-News] PROFILE-Digambar Kamat: The survivor (Backstage, in Business Standard)> > http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=5&autono=315532> > The survivor> BACKSTAGE> Makarand Gadgil / Mumbai March 03, 2008> Goa's 15th chief minister, Digambar Kamat, is known for following a> strict fitness regime. He plays a daily game or two of badminton and> also swims regularly — perhaps the skills he has acquired in these two> sports also help him remain afloat in the treacherous politics of Goa.> > Like any shuttler worth his salt, who judges to perfection where the> next smash or drop is coming from and is there to return it even> before it drops on his side of court, Kamat is a master of judging> changing political scenarios and changes his gameplan accordingly.> Similarly he also uses his aquatic skills to perfection and has> survived at least two attempts to pull down his government in his> eight-month stint as the chief minister.> > The 53-year-old Kamat, who has interests in realty and mining, comes> from a family with RSS affiliations and belongs to the small but> influential community of Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, better known as GSBs.> In fact, he was the Congress's first GSB chief minister in Goa. Kamat> later participated in a movement to collect bricks for the Ram temple> during the heydays of the Ayodhya movement. In 1993, he entered Goa's> 40-member assembly on a BJP ticket.> > Kamat stayed with the BJP till 2005 and even became a trusted> lieutenant of the high-profile BJP chief minister of Goa, Manohar> Parrikar. He was made the deputy chief ministership as a reward for> his loyalty.> > But when the Congress decided to topple Parrikar's government after> lodging Gandhi loyalist S C Jamir at Panaji's Raj Bhavan, Kamat,> sensing it was the Congress that now had the momentum, switched> loyalties. In the bargain, he was allowed to keep his deputy chief> ministership and power portfolio.> > Kamat, who likes to maintain a low profile, must have realised he> would never become chief minister if he stayed in the BJP so long as> Parrikar, who enjoyed the trust and blessings of both RSS bosses and> the BJP's top brass, was on the scene. Such brazen turncoat politics> might have raised eyebrows in other states but not in the> revolving-door politics of a small state like Goa.> > But there is another side to the politician in Kamat: he is a good> administrator. He has had reasonable success in ministries such as> town and country planning, mining and tourism. His administrative> skills helped make his stint in the power ministry a success story.> When most state electricity boards are incurring huge losses, Kamat> managed to ensure a turnaround in Goa.> > When the tug of war was on between the then outgoing chief minister,> Pratap Singh Rane, and Goa Congress president Ravi Naik over the chief> ministership, Kamat watched from the sidelines, confident that he> would emerge as the compromise candidate. He remained patient and> didn't try to woo any MLAs to his side. Finally, when Congress> observers Margaret Alva and Sushil Kumar Shinde were unable to resolve> the deadlock, they zeroed in on Kamat. His name was duly announced as> leader of the legislative party.> > During the initial days of his government, Kamat was pro-special> economic zones (SEZs), but the rising anti-SEZ sentiment and> vociferous opposition from the Church made him see it as a good> opportunity to deliver the knock-out punch to his opponents. Chief> among these was Dayanand Narvekar, the heavyweight Congressman who was> trying to destabalise the government and was also seen as pro-SEZ.> > Kamat's decision to scrap the SEZs has not only helped him to cut down> his opponents in the party to size and dilute the BJP's anti-SEZ> plank. It has also won over the Church which was weary of his RSS> past. Check our comprehensive Salary Centre Overpaid or Underpaid? _________________________________________________________________ New music from the Rogue Traders - listen now! http://ninemsn.com.au/share/redir/adTrack.asp?mode=click&clientID=832&referral=hotmailtaglineOct07&URL=http://music.ninemsn.com.au/roguetraders
