Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday virtually confirmed his elevation to the federal cabinet even as the BJP legislators are expected to meet today to discuss his successor.
While Parrikar is being tipped for the key defence ministry portfolio, one of the two held by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the 58-year-old politician said he had been instructed by BJP president Amit Shah to accept any responsibility entrusted to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Parrikar, however, told the media that the portfolio had not yet been revealed to him.
“Amit Shah told me to accept any assigment given to me by the prime minister. The second part is the prerogative of the prime minister,” said Parrikar, ending the speculation of his appointment as a cabinet minister.
Parrikar, along with state party president Vinay Tendulkar and organising secretary Satish Dhond, met Shah Wednesday in New Delhi, fuelling speculation about Parrikar’s inclusion in the federal cabinet, which is set for an expansion Sunday.
Parrikar said the BJP’s parliamentary board, the highest decision making body in the party, would take a final call on issues related to cabinet expansion tomorrow morning.
“On 8th morning many issues will be clear to you,” Parrikar said, adding that he was forced to address the media yesterday to steer clear of speculation.
Since Wednesday, Goa has been abuzz about the possibility of Parrikar becoming the first politician from the state, often considered politically insignificant, to be a full cabinet minister in New Delhi.
Goa already has representation in the federal ministry in form of North Goa MP Shripad Naik, who is the union minister of state (independent charge) for tourism and culture.
It has also been represented in the federal ministry earlier by Ramakant Khalap and Eduardo Faleiro.
Cafes, bars, bus stands, the social media and other public spaces have been discussing the whens and hows of having Parrikar, a popular leader in Goa, in the federal cabinet.
Parrikar, who said he had mixed feelings about his elevation, argued that the call of the nation was greater than that of a state.
Parrikar also said he had expressed his apprehensions about being elevated to federal governance to Shah. IANS
