Panaji: Tourism minister and former MGP MLA Manohar Azgaonkar was appointed deputy chief minister on Thursday afternoon, in under 48 hours of joining BJP . The development comes a day after the regional party’s Madkai legislator Ramkrishna Dhavalikar was divested of the post and stripped of his portfolios The coveted PWD portfolio, which Dhavalikar held over the past two years, was given to Sanvordem MLA Deepak Pauskar on Thursday. The first-time MLA switched over to BJP with Azgaonkar in the early hours of Wednesday.He was sworn in as a minister the same day.He has also been handed the museum portfolio.The transport ministry, formerly held by Dhavalikar, is yet to be allotted.Azgaonkar is the second deputy chief minister in the Pramod Sawant-led coalition government. The other is Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai, who was sworn in as part of Sawant’s cabinet last week.MGP’s fallout with BJP began after the former decided not to give up its plan of contesting the bypolls in Shiroda. The move was reportedly in contravention of its understanding with the saffron party over the terms of government formation last week.Stung by the wedge driven into the party by BJP on Wednesday, MGP is now not only preparing to contest the bypolls in Mandrem, Shiroda and Mapusa, but will also field candidates for both the Lok Sabha seats. Dhavalikar’s candidature is being considered for South Goa, while Naresh Sawal - the party’s Bicholim candidate who lost to BJP’s Rajesh Patnekar in the 2017 assembly elections - is likely to contest in North Goa.

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