With the resignation of the Minister for Finance Mr Dayanand Narvekar (58),
today, the CM Mr Digamber Kamat (54) and MLA Margao had clandestinely
succeeded in his game plan of "silencing" the senior MLA's from the the Party
who either posed or would pose a threat to his reign.
Earlier it was Mr Pratapsing Rane (69) who was made the Speaker, then followed
by Ms Victoria Fernandes (74) who was "silenced" then it was Mr Churchill
Alemao (58) whose " silence " was purchased with a quid pro quo that he gets
the PWD portfolio and a ticket for his beloved daughter Ms Valanka for the
Mormugao Parliamentary seat in May 2009 if he " forgets" MOPA
There is no doubt that Dhargalim ( Scheduled Caste reserved seat ) MLA Mr
Manohar (Babu ) Azgaonkar (54) a "thorn in Mr Kamat's cabinet (who wields
considerable influence in Margao ) will eventually face his extinction
alongwith the Dhargalim seat which under the notified delimitation of
Constituencies will vanish as Pernem Taluka will have just two constituencies
Pernem (SC) and Mandrem and there is no guarantee that Mr Kamat will lobby for
a ticket for him.
Thus Mr Kamat would have had a team below the age of 54 years as on 2008.
But today's induction of Mr Antanasio (Babush) Monseratte (46)the "unattached"
member of the Goa Legislative Assembly from Taleigao clearly a direction from
the High Command has come as a thorn in Kamats designs.
Left to Mr Kamat notwithstanding the fact that Mr Monserrate did indeed help
the Kamat Governments survival in July 2007 when Mr Kamat faced a an upheavel
from his own rank and file he would have preferred to induct Mr Madkaikar (44
years ) de novo instead of the "enfante terrible" Mr Antanasio (Babush)
Monseratte.
This is all the more evident from the fact that three months ago cases filed
against Mr Somnath Zuarkar the ex-MLA of Taleigao were declared as closed
apparently to re-juvenate him for the next hustings anticipating that Mr
Antanasio (Babush) Monseratte could well be charge-sheeted for his attack on
the Panaji Police Station on 19th February, 2008.
For Mr Monseratte charge-sheet or not he banks heavily on the Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) the MGP the Independent the "gang of six" who could change
the fortunes of the INC in the coming months. But Mr Vishwajit Rane too will
have to do some "tight rope walking" to appease Mr Monserrate to pursue his
ambitions of becoming a CM with Senior Rane helping him before term end or the
Parliamentary elections if the ocassion warrants.
The senior INC MLA's would be ready to do his bidding if Kamat pursues his
agenda further. Though there is no immediate threat until the coming Budget
session. But clearly for CM Kamat he has sleepless nights until the election
of the Pale assembly seat declared vacant after the death of its sitting member
Mr Gurudas P Gaonkar, and in the event the UPA Government goes for early
Parliamentary elections after the Nuclear deal is signed late September, 2008.
Until now the portfolios have not been decided despite loose talk of reshuffle
of portfolios.
In any case knowing full well that the resignation from the Cabinet of Mr
Narvekar may not go down too well with the fishing community to whom he belongs
and the solid Catholic vote bank he commands in Tivim Aldona and now Penha de
Franca (Porvorim) the newly carved Constituency under the delimitation Mr Kamat
has clearly stated that he was only "following the directions of the High
Command"
It is a fact that Mr Digamber Kamat has never ever had a one to one meeting
with the INC High Command according to sources who spoke to this writer from
New Delhi this evening and it was always decisions conveyed by the High
Priestess Madam Sonia Gandhi the UPA Chairperson thro' her emissaries looking
after the Goa desk Ms Margaret Alva and now Mr B K Hariprassad.
Interestingly the BJP led Opposition Mr Manohar Parrikar (55) too heads a team
of young MLAs, hence wittingly or unwittingly both Mr Diagambar Kamat and
Parrikar would prefer a younger team for their political survival in the
Assembly.
It may be of interest to note that the older lot were unseated Dr Wilfred De
Souza Mr Francisco Sardinha Mr Luizinho Faleiro and Mr Subhash Shirodkar at the
2nd June 2007 hustings again a master plan of Mr Kamat though he claims to be
God's choice to the INC led coalition in the State.
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
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