MARGAO
With just around a year and half to go for the Lok Sabha polls, the ruling BJP has set its eyes to regain the South Goa Parliamentary seat in the right earnest.
This became evident when Union Minister Narayan Rane, who has been made in-charge of the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency, descended down South on Friday to take stock of the prevailing political situation.
Soon after his arrival, Rane went into a huddle with the BJP core committee and organising committee members from South Goa at a city hotel. He is believed to have taken a review of the situation in South Goa with party leaders.
BJP State president Sadanand Tanavade, Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, party MLAs from down South, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, Ulhas Tuemkar, Ganesh Gaonkar, Krishna Dajji Salkar, besides party general secretaries, Damu Naik and former MP Narendra Sawaikar were amongst the leaders, who participated in the meeting.
Sources in the know said the Union Minister, who hails from the Konkan region of neighbouring Maharashtra, has been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure the party regains South Goa back in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP had won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when party candidate Narendra Sawaikar had won the seat with a comfortable margin. The Congress, however, regained the seat when former MP Francisco Sardinha got the better of Sawaikar, to register his fourth victory in the Lok Sabha polls from South Goa constituency.
Earlier in the day, State BJP chief Sadanand Tanavade told the media that the BJP has already made preparations for the Lok Sabha polls after the Assembly elections, exuding confidence that the party will win both the Lok Sabha seats in 2024.
