'Natural for BJP, MGP to Come Together', Fadnavis Eyes TMC’s Goa Ally As Hung House Fear Looms Large

On the eve of counting of votes, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that it is “natural” for the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the BJP to come together to form the government in Goa. With exit polls predicting a hung assembly in the coastal state, the MGP could turn the tables for the Congress or the BJP, and help form the government in the coastal state.

“The BJP will form govt. We will take several people along with us despite the majority mark. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) is an independent party. I think ideologically it’s natural for MGP and BJP to come together,” Fadnavis was quoted as saying by ANI.

Fadnavis, who is in charge of the coastal state, also said that he is “absolutely sure” that the BJP will get a “thumping majority”. “I’m absolutely sure that BJP will get good results, people are ready to come with us and with them, we’ll get a thumping majority. How can Congress form the government if it doesn’t trust its own MLAs & locks them up?” he said.

The MGP has been an ally of both the BJP and the Congress in the past. 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. The only other MLA left was Sudin Dhavlikar — the party supremo — who felt “betrayed”.

The MGP is currently in alliance with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress but has indicated that it has been contacted by the Congress.

Dhavlikar is once hoping to play the kingmaker. “But this time, he is more than a kingmaker” a close aide of his told CNN-News18 on the condition of anonymity.

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. They 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. 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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