‘Politics is always about power’
With 10 of the 15 Congress legislators in Goa merging with the BJP, the party now has the support of 29 of the 40 MLAs in the Goa assembly. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, in an interview to Kiran D. Tare, justifies the poaching of MLAs, saying a full majority was necessary to ensure good governance. Excerpts:
Q. How do you justify the poaching of Congress MLAs?
They have joined us without any preconditions for the development of their constituencies. And as they pass the two-thirds (of the number of MLAs of a party) test, we do not need another election to induct them. This will help us give a better government in the state.
Q. Was there a threat to the BJP-led coalition government?
Earlier, we didn’t have a full majority. In such a situation, there is always some sort of threat.
Q. Your minister Michael Lobo said some of his BJP colleagues were arrogant. Was this a reason for inducting the Congressmen?
No comment.
Q. Was the coalition government affecting governance?
Sometimes you can’t push through your agenda in a coalition. There are several hurdles to cross in an alliance.
Q. You are the only original BJP member in this government. All the others have been in the Congress at some point in time. How do you deal with this?
That’s not the right way to look at it. People like Nilesh Cabral, Michael Lobo and Alina Saldanha were elected on a BJP ticket. I have always been a man of the organisation. Not everyone gets that opportunity.
Q. Just two months ago, you brazenly attacked Babush Monserrat (then a Congress candidate) during the Panaji assembly bypoll. Now he is in the BJP. How do you justify this?
That was just politics. He was our opponent then. Now the people have elected him. In the end, politics is based on the people’s verdict.
Q. Babush had recently said your political idol, the late CM Manohar Parrikar, was the saddest leader Goa has seen. Do you think loyal BJP workers will accept him?
As a party worker, this is quite tough. But in the end, we are in politics to be in power. It is most important that BJP workers understand this. In the politics of power, compromises are necessary.
Q. There is talk that the ‘imported’ MLAs will form a pressure group, force the government to dance to their tune...
If they did not believe in our ideology, in working for people’s welfare, they would not have merged with the BJP. They may have their own identity now, but once they are settled in the BJP they will be convinced about our ideology.
Q. What are your priorities now with a full majority government?
Good governance is top priority. We are going to construct an administrative building at Patto in Panaji, that will be a tourist attraction. We have cancelled the earlier design for a new one.
Q. Your deputy, Chandrakant Kavalekar, is allegedly a matka (local betting syndicate) king...
People are accused of many things. Not all of them are true. The allegations against him are political in nature