Goa CM drops deputy Sudin Dhavalikar, hours after 2 lawmakers from his party join BJP

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant dropped deputy chief minister and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) MLA Sudin Dhavalikar from ministry hours after 2 MGP MLAs joined BJP.

Two of the three MGP MLAs in Goa early Wednesday merged their party's legislative wing with the BJP, which now has 14 legislators in the 36-member state assembly.

Legislators Manohar Ajgaonkar and Dipak Pawaskar gave a letter to merge the MGP legislature party with the BJP to officiating Goa Assembly Speaker Michael Lobo at 1:45 am.

However, Sudin Dhavalikar, the third MGP MLA, did not sign the letter.

While Ajgaonkar is tourism minister, Dhavalikar is a deputy chief minister in the BJP-led state government in Goa.