He has denied the rumours that he is quitting to AICC General Secretary in-charge of Goa Dinesh Gundu Rao but then former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Vasantrao Kamat is no stranger to such controversies. As every mainstream media quoting ‘sources’ proclaimed “Former Goa chief minister and seven-time MLA Digambar Kamat is likely to quit the Congress and join the BJP”, the truth is still out there.

The ‘sources’ reveal that Digambar has demanded a Deputy Chief Ministership and the remaining unallotted portfolios including Mining, Power, Social Welfare and Education in BJP’s Goa Cabinet where 3 berths are still vacant. Digambar began his ministerial career as a Power Minister and the Mining Department assumed notoriety under his leadership to the extent that he was the only politician/Minister whose name was featured in the M B Shah Commission Report on Illegal Mining.

But then this isn’t the first time that Digambar has been deemed to be joining BJP. Since 1994 when he left the BJP to join Congress and in the process trigger the collapse of a Manohar Parrikar led BJP Government in Goa, the saffron party has not forgotten nor forgiven that betrayal. Between 2007 and 2012 when Kamat was the CM, not a month went by without the grapevine discussing how a vengeful BJP/Parrikar is going to bring down Digambar’s Govt. Since 2012 when Congress was decimated in Goa Assembly every MLA resigning from Congress or defecting en masse is preceded or succeeded by rumour mills churning out that Digambar is on his way to join BJP.

Despite having half of the seats in the House under its belt and the unconditional support of 5 MLAs, BJP had to struggle over 11 days to announce its’ CM with challenger Vishwajit Rane yielding to incumbent Pramod Sawant only after grabbing plum Ministries and second position in the Cabinet (not Deputy CM). Why will he yield to Digambar? Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar, Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza, unconditional supporter Madkai MLA Sudin Davlikar (a former Dy CM himself), why will so many aspirants make way for Digambar and BJP rock its boat?

Makes no political sense, does it?