VASCO
People in the port town recall a young Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar faithfully running his shop in the Vasco market, but hardly any of them would have imagined that this humble shopkeeper would someday rise to the post of governor of a state, the first Goan politician and only the third Goan to achieve this distinction.
From a shopkeeper to a petrol pump owner and from a minister to Speaker, Arlekar has come a long way in the field of business and politics. He will now take over as governor of Himachal Pradesh.
Friends, associates and sources close to Arlekar said he had been a good orator with strict discipline and sharp business acumen right from his youth.
Arlekar comes from a family closely associated with the BJP since the Jan Sangh era and is one of the families in the port town which strengthened the roots of BJP in Vasco city and Mormugao at large.
His father, late Vishwanath Arlekar, fondly known as Dada, had a shop in the municipal market where Rajendra spent his childhood assisting him in the business. Arlekar went on to have a showroom for Bombay Dyeing and operated a petrol pump in the city.
Arlekar imbibed a sense of discipline from his father, who was instrumental in participating in many movements, including the Ram Rath Yatra during the Ayodhya Ram Temple movement, and got attracted to the Sangh at a very young age.
According to a close associate, a young Arlekar would assist his father and other loyal Jan Sangh members at events organised after business hours and even handle the family business when his father would spend time to convene meetings to promote the party in and around Vasco.
It is believed that when some Jan Sangh leaders once visited Goa, Vishwanath Arlekar was one of the few to have met them with Rajendra Arlekar.
Arlekar soon got attracted to the RSS like his father and became a "Pracharak" of the RSS, taking up many initiatives to promote RSS ideology in Mormugao taluka.
Arlekar quickly rose to the ranks and became a key RSS member and the emerging BJP party.
Arlekar also conducted RSS classes in the municipal garden from 6 am to 8 am on weekdays and from 7 am to 9 am on Sundays, to promote the RSS ideology and is still plays an important post at a Vasco school that supports the RSS ideology.
Arlekar also promoted the BJP in Mormugao and hosted many veteran BJP leaders during their visit to Goa or in neighbouring states.
Arlekar later started organising meetings to promote the BJP at the state level and went on to become vice president of South Goa BJP.
Arlekar was later awarded a BJP ticket for the Vasco assembly as he was the strongest contender with his strong RSS principles and for being one of the strongest BJP workers.
Some claimed his dedication and devotion to BJP had taken over his commitment to the family business, thereby denying him the opportunity to be one of the most successful businessmen in the port town.
Arlekar won the Vasco assembly seat in 2002, thereby giving a big boost to his political career.
Arlekar later won from the Pernem constituency in 2012 and went on to be the speaker of Goa Assembly, before being appointed as minister of forest and environment from 2015 to 2017.
Arlekar reached the pinnacle of his career on Tuesday after being appointed governor of Himachal Pradesh.
