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Putting aside partisan politics, Goa needs the most highly educated CM the
state or nation has ever had - IITian Manohar Parrikar as CM now. There is
much talk at the center of him being called to Delhi to be the next Prime
Minister of India because of his excellent credentials, organization skills
and past performance as Goa Chief Minister. But India's gain will be Goa's
loss. We need Manohar Parrikar to provide excellent, efficient, no-nonsense
government to Goa once again at the earliest opportunity. The current
government of Digamber Kamat is a do nothing, lame duck government. It needs
to be overthrown and we need Manohar Parrikar in the CM post as soon as
possible ! see below for the announcemet when he was first elected CM.
IIT graduate is Goa chief minister
Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panjim
Bharatiya Janata Party's first chief minister in Goa, Manohar
Parrikar, is also the first Indian Institute of Technology graduate
to take over the reins of the tiny tourist state.
The 45-year-old businessman from Mapuca has been the moving force
behind the BJP's growth from a non-entity to become the ruling party
in Goa. His meticulous style of working and organisational skills,
combined with manipulative skills, has now made him Goa's 23rd chief
minister.
He is the third chief minister in the last 16 months and the 13th in
the last decade.
After graduating from IIT, Powai, he returned to Goa to work for the
BJP as a committed worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. After
making his presence felt in a couple of Lok Sabha elections, he led
the BJP in the 1994 assembly polls, along with three others.
Parrikar succeeded in creating a moralistic image of the BJP in the
minds of Goans, who, keeping aside their reservations about its
communal tag, elected 10 of its candidates in the 1999 assembly
elections.
During his first tenure in the assembly as an opposition member,
Parrikar made an impact with his uprightness and exposed several
scams, including the infamous power scandal.
In July 1998, the BJP legislature party extended support from
outside to the government led by Dr Wilfred de Souza, who had split
from the Congress, for five months before a split within de Souza's
group led to its collapse.
The Congress government led by Luizinho Faleiro, which succeeded de
Souza's, collapsed within three months. At that time, Parrikar was
accused of backstabbing de Souza, who had another chance to form the
government.
The BJP backed out after realising that people were against the
toppling games and instead demanded President's rule.
The BJP emerged as the main opposition party in June last year.
However, when Francisco Sardinha revolted against the Congress
government in November, Parrikar decided to support Sardinha's
coalition government.
Three among the ten BJP legislators became ministers in Sardinha's
government, but Parrikar stayed out of the ministry even as he
continued as leader of the BJP legislature party.
The BJP has reached the seat of power only after roping in eight
Congress defectors. This time, Sardinha is accusing him of
backstabbing.
Incidentally, he represents Panjim, the capital of Goa, in the
assembly. Being a person with vision and having expertise in
financial matters, Pannikar faces the uphill task of getting Goa out
of the debt trap it has slid into.
Another challenge is that of completing the remaining
three-and-a-half-year term without facing a revolt, which Goa has
become accustomed to.
