The BJP in Goa Wednesday said Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, whose extended absence from office due to ill health has sparked demands of temporary replacement, is likely to resume duty next month.
The State unit Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) president Vinay Tendulkar, however, conceded the pace of administration in the coastal State has "slowed down" in absence of the Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) president Dipak Dhavlikar demanded that Parrikar hand over his charge to "any of the senior ministers" till he recovered from illness. He also said the people of Goa were complaining about the "collapse" of administration in absence of Parrikar.
The MGP is one of the two regional constituents of the Manohar Parrikar-led coalition Government--the other being the Goa Forward Party (GFP).
Notably, GFP chief and Cabinet Minister Vijai Sardesai had last week said that the CM's ailment was affecting his work and that of the State administration.