While majority of BJP MLAs went sightseeing in Jaipur ahead of the trust vote, one man was back in Goa, working out a deal with the Congress right under former CM Manohar Parrikar’s nose.And part of BJP former no 2 leader Digambar Kamat’s coup were the state’s powerful mine-owners and politicians who worked overtime to prevent the party’s return to power. Kamat, who was Parrikar’s most trusted man, had been plotting his moves in Jaipur along with other MLAs. None of them had cellphones and were not allowed to contact relatives or return to Goa.Kamat saw his chance on Wednesday when a meeting of the Constituency Delimitation Commission was scheduled. He got Parrikar to agree to his return, ostensibly to make a presentation before the commission. He then contacted a prominent mine owner and hotelier who had played a major role in weaning away four MLAs from the BJP last month to topple Parrikar’s government. They soon got in touch with south Goa MP Churchill Alemao and party leader Margaret Alva to broker a deal with Kamat.Kamat told this reporter the deal came through at a Goa hotel on Wednesday night. ‘‘There are some more MLAs who are frustrated with the leadership and are waiting to quit,’’ Kamat said.Earlier, Kamat said he was humiliated by the RSS leaders of the BJP who did not take kindly to his past association with the Congress. Kamat, who joined BJP and won the Margao seat in 1994, was instrumental in building up the party in south Goa. Seeing a potential catch in Kamat, Alemao had been wooing him at public meetings in the past month.Kamat said he was not in touch with his former colleagues who were in Jaipur till this morning. ‘‘I did not call them as they could tap my conversations with them to trap me,’’ he said. The MLAs were whisked away to a ‘‘secret location’’, BJP leader Rajendra Arlekar said.The Congress is already alleging Satarkar was likely to sabotage CM Pratapsingh Rane’s trust vote on February 28. ‘‘The Speaker, in collusion with Parrikar is trying to deny power to the Congress,’’ party president Luizinho Faleiro told reporters after meeting governor S.C. Jamir.
