Sawant goes on 'private visit' outside Goa amid speculation of being axed as CM

State BJP leaders have dismissed reports about dropping Sawant from the CM's chair, saying such changes cannot be made with nearing polls

Amid intense speculation of a leadership change in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday left the state on a "private visit", soon after Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claimed that the BJP was likely to drop him from the top seat.

State BJP leaders have dismissed reports about dropping Sawant from the Chief Minister's chair, saying such changes cannot be made with assembly polls scheduled to be held a few months later.

Earlier on Saturday, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sisodia while addressing a press conference in Delhi had claimed that the BJP had resolved to drop Sawant from the CM's position on grounds of poor administration and inefficient handling of the Covid crisis.

Also Read | BJP set to replace Goa CM ahead of assembly polls, claims AAP

“We have learnt from very reliable sources that BJP is going to change its CM in Goa. Just two months before the assembly election, the party will replace Pramod Sawant and appoint a new Chief Minister. They have done this in Uttarakhand and in Karnataka. The BJP has now realised, just two months before the polls, that the people of Goa are very unhappy with Sawant," Sisodia told reporters in the national capital.

"He and his government have done no work there. They have realised that they cannot contest the election under his leadership. This must be the first time in the history of the country that the ruling party realises two months before an election that their party has done no work and is now set to change the CM. The BJP is admitting it,” Sisodia told reporters in Delhi.

AAP, which is keen on making a political splash in Goa in the 2022 polls, has been taking on the BJP-led coalition government in the coastal state.

Interestingly, Sawant, along with state BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and party organising secretary Satish Dhond had been summoned to Delhi at short notice on Friday.

The state BJP leaders had met BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national general secretary BL Santosh and the party's Goa desk in-charge and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, with Sawant claiming that election-related issues were discussed at the joint meeting.

However, soon after Sisodia's announcement in Delhi, Sawant took off once again from Goa on Saturday afternoon. Speaking to reporters at Goa's Dabolim international airport, the Chief Minister said that he was "not going to Delhi", but was travelling outstation on a personal visit.

While sources said that Sawant was heading for Gujarat, the Chief Minister's office in a message said, "Hon CM is travelling out of the state for a personal program and will not be available in the state for Public Meetings till Monday 25 Oct 2021".

"I do not know. These are rumours. CM is running the state government well. I feel no party will carry out such changes with just two months (to polls)," former state BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar said.

Union Minister of State for Tourism and North Goa MP Shripad Naik has also denied that Sawant was likely to be dropped as Chief Minister.

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