We will contest next election on our own unless Parrikar steps down as Goa CM
MGP warns coalition partner BJP
Panaji, Nov 17: The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), a BJP ally in Goa, gave an ultimatum on Saturday that the charge of the chief minister's post be given to its minister Sudin Dhavalikar in view of Manohar Parrikar's illness.
The MGP warned that it would contest the Lok Sabha polls and Assembly by-elections in the state against the BJP candidates if the demand was not met.
Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, is recuperating at his residence since October 14 after being discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
Two Assembly seats -- Mandrem and Shiroda -- fell vacant last month after respective MLAs, Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar, resigned as legislators and quit the Congress to join the BJP.
"Party's central committee had a detailed discussion on the leadership issue today. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is ailing and, because of that, the administration is completely paralysed for the last eight months," MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar said.
"Therefore, to bring in discipline and efficiency to the administration, we demand that the chief minister's charge be given to senior MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar as early as possible," he said.
"If the charge is not given immediately, we will contest all upcoming elections, that is (Assembly) by-election and Lok Sabha polls, by fielding our candidates against official candidate of the government," he said.
Sundin Dhavalikar is presently the second-most senior minister in Goa cabinet after Parrikar.
MGP's central committee will meet again next month to review the situation, Deepak Dhavalikar said.
"We will see if the government has taken our warning seriously or has continued with the same situation," he said, adding that he himself might contest the by-election from Shiroda, while the party would support Independent MLA Jit Arolkar in Mandrem.
MGP is part of the BJP-led coalition, which also includes Goa Forward Party and three Independents.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
