Day after he spoke of ‘sacrifice’, Goa minister Cabral resigns; to make way for Congress turncoat Sequeira

Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira, who was among the eight MLAs who had defected from the Congress, will be inducted into the Cabinet today evening.

nilesh cabral resigns goa cabinet “I have not been told to step down, but ‘sacrifice’ was the word used, not only for me but for other ministers also,” Nilesh Cabral told The Indian EuroJournal on Saturday. (Photo: Nilesh Cabral/ X)

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Goa Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Nilesh Cabral resigned from the Cabinet on Sunday, a day after admitting that senior party leaders had spoken to him about having to make a “sacrifice” to accommodate one of the eight ‘turncoat’ MLAs who switched over to the BJP from the Congress in September last year.

Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira, who was among the eight MLAs who had defected, will be inducted into the Cabinet today evening, a government spokesperson confirmed. “Shri Nilesh Cabral has submitted his resignation from the Council of Ministers to the Hon’ble Chief Minister. Swearing-in of Shri Aleixo Sequeira to the Cabinet is scheduled today at 7 pm at Raj Bhavan,” the spokesperson said.

Cabral, who represents the Curchorem Assembly constituency, also held the portfolios of Law and Judiciary, Environment and Climate Change, and Legislative Affairs.

Speculations about a Cabinet reshuffle – to accommodate Sequeira, former chief minister Digambar Kamat and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo – were rife for over a year. This is the first rejig in the state Cabinet after the Pramod Sawant-led BJP formed the government in Goa.

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Sources said Cabral was summoned to Delhi earlier this week, where the party high command made it clear that he will have to step aside to fulfil the party’s commitment of a Cabinet berth to Sequeira, made at the time of the latter’s joining.

On Saturday night, Cabral had told The Indian EuroJournal that the chief minister had not asked him to resign. “Three days back, there was a discussion and the party leaders said it is required to induct one of the eight MLAs. Not only me, I think they told others also… I have not been told to step down, but ‘sacrifice’ was the word used, not only for me but for other ministers also. The CM has not told me anything. I have not been told to resign yet…it was just said ‘sacrifice’ you will have to make. That’s how they said it,” he had said.

Sequeira had also played down the developments on Saturday night, dismissing them as speculation. “Till this minute, I have not been told by anybody that I am being made a minister. This is only speculation, just rumours. I have been hearing for over a year now that I am being sworn-in or Digambar Kamat is being inducted or Michael Lobo or that we all are being sworn-in,” he had said.

First published on: 19-11-2023 at 11:48 IST