Parrikar to continue as Goa CM; flown to Delhi for treatment

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was flown to Delhi on Saturday for his follow-up treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a senior official said.

Parrikar, 62, has been undergoing treatment for his pancreatic ailmen.

Parrikar had returned from the United States in the first week of September following which he was admitted to the hospital at Candolim.

Earlier this year, he had undergone a three-month-long treatment in the US.

Sources stated that Parrikar had Friday spoken to Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah over phone, who enquired about his health.

The Goa BJP had held a meeting of its state-level core committee on Friday.

The core committee members had later met Parrikar.

"Parrikar spoke to Shah and briefed him about the political situation in the state, and also informed him about his health condition. It was decided that Parrikar will continue as the chief minister but he might give some of his portfolios to his cabinet colleagues," he told PTI.

"By next week, the government will work out the exact arrangement through which the work burden on Parrikar could be reduced.

"A thought would also be given to replacing the two ailing ministers in the cabinet, Pandurang Madkaikar and Francis D'Souza," the leader said.

Both Madkaikar and D'Souza are currently hospitalised.

Earlier in the day, Goa BJP held a meeting of its state-level core committee.

The core committee later met Parrikar.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, an alliance partner in the Parrikar-led government in Goa, said it was "high time" the chief minister handed over the charge to the seniormost minister during his absence in the state.

The MGP, with its three legislators, has given support to the BJP to form the government in the state along with the Goa Forward Party and other independent legislators.

Talking to reporters on Saturday morning, MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar said, "It is high time Parrikar hands over the charge to the seniormost minister for smooth functioning of the government."

He said in the last eight months, the government has not been able to function smoothly.

Dhavalikar said Parrikar can remain the chief minister and hand over the charge to someone else in his absence.

When asked whether he wanted his elder brother and MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar to be given the charge, he said, "I don't know...let them tell who is the seniormost. I am just saying that whoever is given charge should be the seniormost. Let them tell who is the seniormost."

Sudin Dhavalikar, who is the the public works department minister, is the seniormost member in the Parrikar-led cabinet.

The MGP chief also ruled out any possibility of the MGP's merger with the BJP.

"There is no question of merger. We are not interested in the merger. It will never happen. We have built the party over several years and it is the hope for future of Goa's politics. We have 12-13 per cent vote share in the state, so where is the question of merging the party," Dhavalikar added.