Tanavade says open for initial talks; Party leaders’ yoyo on alliance decision continues
PANAJI
Two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah thundered in Taleigao, the BJP’s resolve to go full-steam ahead on its own to win a complete majority government in the 2022 assembly polls, State BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade in a stunning climbdown offered an open invitation to all regional parties, including the MGP and Goa Forward, to join his party for alliance talks.
Tanavade also said, that the doors of the State BJP unit were open for initial talks, but added that a final decision on the alliance would be taken by the BJP’s central Parliamentary board, based on assessment made by the BJP’s State in-charge for the 2022 polls Devendra Fadnavis and the party’s national general secretary in-charge of the Goa desk CT Ravi.
“...if a like-minded political party feels like engaging in dialogue with us, to come with us, our platform is open. We would like to tell those who want to come with us, preserve Goenkarponn, they should all come and talk to us,” Tanavade said that the coming together of like-minded parties was essential to preserve democracy in the true sense in Goa.
The BJP leadership has yoyoed over the last couple of months over whether the party prefers to go solo or in alliance into the 2022 poll.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has previously maintained that the party would go into polls alone.
On September 4 this year, Tanavade had said: “The State unit believes that the BJP can win polls alone without stitching an alliance”, while adding that a final decision on a possible alliance would be taken by the party’s High Command.
Fadnavis earlier this week, told The Goan that the party’s doors were open to an alliance.
Shah, on the contrary, on Thursday also dropped broad, unmissable hints that party workers should elect a BJP government on its own majority.
Tanavade’s open and desperate pleading on Saturday to “regional parties” to get into alliance talks with his party appears to be a big climbdown in view of Shah’s stated position.
Tanavade however maintains that State BJP leaders could initiate early talks, a final decision on the alliance would be taken by the Delhi-based High Command based on inputs from Fadnavis and Ravi.
“I cannot take a decision, but if someone wants to come for a discussion, then they should talk to us BJP pradesh (officials). We will take the issue to the Centre through Fadnavis and CT Ravi,” Tanavade said.
When asked if along with the MGP, Goa Forward had also been extended the invitation, Tanavade said: “If tomorrow Goa Forward feels like, they can too. There is no problem in conducting a dialogue”.
