MGP's love-hate relationship with BJP continues as Dhavalikar becomes minister

In the run-up to the Assembly polls, Sudin Dhavalikar had claimed his party would play king-maker and had added he would not support any dispensation that had Sawant as chief minister.

Panaji: A new chapter was added to the continuous flip-flops of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party in its love-hate relationship with the BJP in Goa over the past decade after MLA Sudin Dhavalikar was sworn in as minister in the Pramod Sawant cabinet on Saturday. Incidentally, in the run-up to the Assembly polls, that were held on February 14 and results of which were declared in March 10, Dhavalikar had claimed his party would play king-maker and had added he would not support any dispensation that had Sawant as chief minister.

In the 2012 Assembly polls, the two parties fought in alliance, with the BJP winning 21 seats in the 40-member House, and the MGP getting two, leading to both Sudin and his younger brother Deepak being made ministers in the Manohar Parrikar government. After Parrikar was made Defence Minister in the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Laxmikant Parsekar took over as CM, a move that led to differences coming to the fore between the MGP and BJP. Soon Paresekar sacked the Dhavalikar siblings from the cabinet and the MGP fought the 2017 polls in alliance with the Shiv Sena and some other non-BJP outfits. It won three seats and was quick to announce support to the BJP when it was clear Parrikar would be CM again.

Parrikar's demise in 2019 once again soured relations between the two parties, and Dhavalikar was sacked by CM Sawant after the MGP fielded a candidate in the Shirodi bypoll against the BJP. In a press conference held soon after, Dhavalikar had vowed never to side with the BJP again as it would be "political suicide" for him and the MGP. The MGP contested the 2022 polls in alliance with the Trinamool Congress, which failed to open its account, and won from Madkai (Sudin Dhavalikar) and Mandrem (Jit Arolkar). Immediately after the BJP won 20 seats, just one short of majority, the MGP announced unconditional support, leading to Dhavalikar being made a minister in the Sawant government on Saturday. Dhavalikar, after being made minister, said the alliance between the two parties was for 10 years.

PTI