With some supporters showing sign of exasperation, CM Digambar Kamat held a meeting on Wednesday with close cabinet colleagues to discuss a cabinet reshuffle.

“The meeting was to discuss and evolve a formula to accommodate Congress MLA Pandurang Madkaikar in the cabinet. The high command has already given a go ahead to his entry,” informed a minister on condition of anonymity.

The discussion was on who could be axed to bring in Madkaikar. One name discussed was that of urban development minister Joaquim Alemao, whose brother Churchill is also a cabinet minister holding the PWD portfolio.

Churchill, who returned from Delhi earlier this week, is planning another visit on Friday. “I plan to meet Sonia Gandhi, Priyaranjan Das Munshi and other leaders,” he said, and informed that his visit is purely in connection with his football team.

Sources said that if it’s one member who has to be dropped, it would be Joaquim. But if two members are to be removed, then Aleixo Sequeira could be the other minister facing the chopping block.

However, there is speculation that three sitting ministers may be dropped to make way for Babu Kavlekar and Shaym Satardekar, besides Madkaikar.

While Kavlekar, elected twice, has remained loyal to the Congress, a disgruntled Satardekar has openly allied with the BJP, even staying away from the assembly. Kamat is trying to win him over by accommodating him in the cabinet.

“These moves are not easy. When there are difficulties in accommodating one member, one wonders how they can remove three ministers at one go,” another minister said.

Meanwhile, the NCP has been openly critical of the chief minister for not taking them into confidence over changes in the cabinet. Jose Philip D’Souza has said that no coordination committee meeting has taken place in nine months and the NCP was not consulted on various matters.

Recently, NCP conveyed its displeasure over the “big brotherly attitude” of the Congress to its high command, particularly Praful Patel, who is scheduled to visit Goa shortly. Sources said that NCP leader Jose Philip D’Souza was not invited for the meeting.

TOM