PANAJI

The Art & Culture Minister and independent MLA Govind Gawade has slammed ally MGP’s move to field the Dipak Dhavalikar for upcoming Shiroda constituency bypoll.

Gawade also said the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) should stop “blackmailing” the government.

“The MGP should stop this blackmailing. If they are not happy being in the government or what BJP is doing, then they should withdraw the support and let the government fall,” Gawade told reporters.

The BJP-led state government is supported by the MGP, Goa Forward Party (GFP) and three Independent MLAs.

The MGP had recently announced to field party president Dipak Dhavlikar from Shiroda constituency, which was represented by Subhash Shirodkar of Congress before he joined BJP last October.