Mickky and Avertano in new CM’s cabinet

Panaji: The Laxmikant Parsekar-led government on Thursday decided to induct into the new cabinet Goa Vikas Party (GVP) supremo and Nuvem MLA Francisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco, and retain former fisheries minister and independent Navelim MLA Avertano Furtado, ending five days of speculation on who would fill the two vacant berths.
Defence minister and former chief minister Manohar Parrikar appears to have been instrumental in Pacheco getting into the cabinet, a move aimed at wooing the minority community in South Goa.
By doing so, Parrikar has fulfilled the promise made to Pacheco earlier this year that he would be rewarded with a cabinet berth if he helped the BJP win the South Goa Lok Sabha seat.
Announcing the two names, Parsekar said that after Pacheco’s and Avertano’s induction his cabinet would have four ministers from the Catholic community.
“We have given 33% representation to our Catholic brothers,” he said, adding that the swearing-in ceremony would be held
on Saturday.
The decision to have a separate swearing-in ceremony of the two Catholic MLAs and to not club it with the chief minister’s swearing-in is perhaps to go to town that the BJP is giving special focus to Salcete, especially now that Parrikar will be out of Goa for most time as he is Union defence minister.
A senior party leader confirmed that the induction decision was taken to please the minority community from Salcete, and to send out a clear message that “BJP cares about and will take along the minority community”. Parrikar had begun his ‘Mission Salcete’ a little over a decade ago. The taluka is looked on as a non-BJP bastion.
For the record, sources said BJP’s decision to induct Pacheco and Avertano was taken after an entire day of consultations with senior leaders and party MLAs. During the consultation, some BJP MLAs expressed their displeasure over the party deciding to fill both vacant cabinet posts with non-BJP MLAs.
BJP sources said Shakhali MLA Pramod Sawant was told at the last minute that the party had decided to fill the vacant seats by giving representation to MLAs from Salcete taluka. An angry BJP worker, upset that a party MLA would not be inducted, told TOI, “The Congress would always try to placate the minorities and the BJP would always criticize this ‘minority appeasement policy’. This time the BJP seems no different.”
Parsekar said “stability is one of the reasons” why Pacheco and Avertano are being inducted into the cabinet. He said Pacheco has always supported the BJP, even in this year’s Lok Sabha elections. “CM is from Pernem, deputy CM from Bardez, and to keep the balance in the cabinet, we have given representation to Salcete,” said Parsekar.
On the displeasure of some party MLAs over the decision, Parsekar said the party has got a clear mandate and it is obvious that party MLAs will want to be a part of the cabinet, “depending on their demand we have convinced them” (about the party decision). He further said the distribution of portfolios has been discussed and the notification will be issued on Friday.
BJP sources said there won’t be a change in ministers’ portfolios, but there is a possibility that ministers may get an additional portfolio.
Pacheco and Avertano were also present at the BJP meeting. After the announcement of their induction, Pacheco said, “I am a happy man. The allotment of portfolios is the prerogative of the CM and I have no demand on portfolios.” Pacheco is likely to get the portfolios of caption of ports and legal metrology.