Micky joins BJP, Babush stripped off

| 28 January 2005 23:01 IST

In a major political development, former minister Micky Pacheco joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party today.

Subsequently, chief minister Manohar Parrikar stripped off lucrative portfolio of Babush Monserette, one of his ‘troubling’ minist

Both these actions are being viewed as an offensive launched by Mr Parrikar against the ongoing attempts to topple his two-and-a-half-year old government.

With this, the ruling party’s strength has increased to 21, in the 40-member House.

Pacheco, who was removed as the minister in the same government in June last year, has now joined the saffron bandwagon.

In order to avoid provisions of the new anti-defection act, Mr Pacheco has merged his party, the United Goans Democratic Party (Secular), into the BJP.

After getting elected on the UGDP ticket in May 2002, he had split from the party to join the saffron camp, along with his then party colleague Mr Monserette.

However, he changed his decision last minute, forming the UGDP (Secular).

Later on, blaming him for his ‘style of functioning’, Mr Parrikar had removed Micky from the cabinet, replacing him with tourism minister Mathany Saldhana, belonging to the UGDP.

After voting against the ruling coalition government over six months, Mr Pacheco suddenly joined the saffron party yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mr Parrikar stripped off his cabinet colleague Mr Monserette of the town and country planning department. Mr Monserette’s wife was recently appointed chairperson of the planning and development authority, run by the town and country planning department.

Babush has reportedly been trying to topple the Parrikar government, joining hands with the opposition Congress for over a month now.
Goa BJP chief Rajendra Arlekar claimed that Micky had joined `unconditionally.'

On the other hand, Mr Parrikar claimed that he was forced to execute corrective measures in the portfolios, to curb corruption in the administration.

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