New Delhi: The Goa Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that chief minister Manohar Parrikar is likely to resume duty next month. Parrikar’s extended absence from office due to bad health has sparked demands of temporary replacement.

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.

According to the BJP, Parrikar, 62, is currently recuperating at his private residence at Dona Paula near Panaji since he was shifted there from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.

“Parrikar is recovering well and we expect him to resume office in the next month, that is November,” Tendulkar said.

BJP president Amit Shah had earlier clarified that Parrikar would continue to helm the coalition government.

Tendulkar also informed that no discussion was being held at the state level about the change of guard.

“We don’t have the right to discuss issues like the leadership change. Senior leaders of the party in Delhi will take a call on it,” said the BJP leader.

When asked about Dhavalikar’s statement, Tendulkar said, “the administration has become slow due to Parrikar’s absence from office”.