Cabinet vacancy after Ravi Naik’s passing puts BJP on a tightrope

PARTY TO WEIGH POLITICAL BALANCE, CASTE EQUATIONS BEFORE DECISION

- AGNELO PEREIRA

The sudden demise of Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik has not only left a void in the State cabinet but also set off a fresh round of political speculation within the ruling BJP over who might fill the vacant berth.

The development comes barely two months after the last cabinet reshuffle in which former Chief Minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar were inducted as ministers.

With the creation of a new vacancy, attention has inevitably turned to MLAs who were in contention but missed out during the August reshuffle.