Corrupt combination between Parrikar and Vijay Sardessai deny Catholics sufficient representation in the cabinet – By Nisser Dias

Distribution of the portfolios has revealed the true communal colours of the Manohar Parrikar along with the selfish interests of the Vijay Sardessai. Just one Catholic has been inducted in the cabinet, even while 7 MLAs of the BJP are from the minority community.

Vijay Sardessai who always claims to be secular  person and was elected largely by the minority community from Fatorda has managed to get his 2 MLAs besides himself inducted into the cabinet but did not worry about the minority community MLAs like Alina, Michael, Nilesh and others.

Communal Brigade.

While south Goa boasts 21 constituencies in the 40 assembly seats, BJP led government has allotted just 2 ministers for it while as many as 7 for 19 constituencies in the north Goa in addition to Manohar Parrikar as chief minister who is yet to stand the test of the electorate. At the same time only one Catholic find a place in the cabinet while the lone lady in the BJP does not get a berth.

Neo-saffron brigade

Vijay Sardessai of Goa Forward and independent Govind Gawde were sworn in as ministers and were alloted Town and Country Planning and Art and Culture portfolios respectively.

In 2012 also Manohar Parrikar had sworn in 2 ministers as compared to the three this time round. In 2012 it was the Avertano Furtado and Ramesh Tawadkar.



Francis D'Souza
The Hindu Christian

Incidentally Salcete with as many as eight constituencies is being represented by only one minister in the cabinet – a repeat of 2012 where in former fisheries minister Avertano Furtado was the face of Salcete taluka in the cabinet. In 2017 it is being replaced by Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardessai who after getting 3 of his 4 candidates elected on an anti-BJP plank extended his party support to prop-up the alliance government.

TCP minister Vijay Sardessai it maybe recalled along with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and ex-Ponda MLA Lavu Mamledar on Dec 15, 2016 had laid a siege to the TCP office in Margao to protest against the government’s move to bulldoze the ODP. At that time he had said, “a complaint has already been filed with the Election Commission that the ODP is being done to collect black money, which will be used against opposition in the upcoming elections”.

It is also pertinent to note that only one Catholic (Francis D’souza) finds place in the cabinet as against 3 during 2012. As many as 7 MLAs of the BJP are Catholics and if Churchill Alemao is counted as supporting the alliance it adds to 8. Maybe the criteria for getting inducted in the cabinet if one is from the minority community one has to say what D’souza had said, “I am a Hindu Christian”

During the last cabinet Manohar Parrikar had chosen Francis D’souza, Avertano Furtado, Alina Saldanha and Mickky Pacheco was also a minister. Pacheco had to resign after being convicted to undergo his sentence.