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Journalism of Courage
PANAJI, AUG 13: The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MGP split on Friday with former union law minister Ramakant Khalap and Prakash Velip, who are the party8217;s legislators, breaking away. The MGP has four MLAs in the 40-member House.
The crisis in the once-powerful MGP comes in shortly after the party8217;s legislators decided to join the ruling Congress party as a coalition. The move mooted by Khalap was strongly opposed by the party8217;s rank and file. MGP president Surendra Sirsat had accused Khalap of not taking the party into confidence before casting his lot with the Congress.
Khalap, who is keen to return to Parliament, is expected to contest the North Goa Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket. His candidature was cleared by the Congress party8217;s pradesh election committee headed by Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro. The former law minister is likely to formally join the Congress party shortly, according to sources.
The MGP, which had 12 legislators in the last House, saw several of its statwarts bite the dust in the June assembly polls. Former chief minister Shashikala Kakodkar, former leader of the opposition Kashinath Jhalani and party president Surendra Sirsat were among those defeated. While several MGP leaders including Kakodkar were in favour of tying up with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Khalap was pro-Congress even before the assembly polls. He held negotiations with Sharad Pawar till the latter formed the Nationalist Congress Party NCP.
