With exit polls predicting a hung assembly in Goa when assembly election results are announced on Thursday, the Maharashtrawadi Congress Party (MGP) is speculated to emerge as a faction that could turn the tables for the Congress or BJP, and help form the government in the coastal state.
In the past, the MGP has been an ally of both the BJP and the Congress. In 2017, the party forged an alliance with the BJP when Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister. But later, when Dr Pramod Sawant became the CM, two out of the three MGP MLAs joined the BJP formally. The only other MLA left was Sudin Dhavlikar — the party supremo who felt “betrayed”.
Dhavlikar is once hoping to play the kingmaker. “But this time, he is more than a kingmaker” says a close aide of his on the condition of anonymity.
This election, the MGP has a pre-poll alliance with the TMC.
Sources in the MGP told CNN-New18 that they will wait for the final results and then decide whether to join the BJP or the Congress.
Sources added that Dhavlikar, who enjoys a good rapport with Union Minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, will never support BJP if Sawant is made the CM face of the alliance.
Dhavlikar is also not ruling out an alliance with the Congress in case it gets less than 14 seats. Then the party supremo wants nothing less than the CM post (since he is seniormost in the House). This is a proposal that is already being discussed within the Congress. “It could be a possibility, but the high command will take the final call,” a Congress official told CNN-News18.
All 40 Vidhan Sabha seats of Goa went to polls on February 14 in a single-phase exercise. Results in the state will be declared on Thursday.
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