PANAJI
Former chief minister Ravi Naik, who resigned as Ponda MLA earlier in the day, was inducted into the BJP on Tuesday evening, making his return to the party after two decades.
Naik was inducted into the BJP at a grand function at Ponda, which was attended by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Deputy Chief Minister Babu Kavlekar, BJP Goa state incharge Devendra Fadnavis, BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Adv Narendra Sawaikar, Shiroda MLA Subhash Shirodkar, Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte, Damu Naik, Jayesh Salgaonkar, Vinay Tendulkar and Dayanand Mandrekar.
Ravi joining BJP will not only give the party a distinct advantage in wooing the Bhandaris in Ponda taluka, but also in other constituencies that have a fairly good presence of the community.
Welcoming Naik into the party, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said with the entry of a popular Bahujan leader like Ravi Naik in the party, the BJP would get 27 seats in the elections although many parties have come together to defeat BJP.
Tanavade said Ravi Naik had left the party due to some reasons but he was now back into the BJP.
He said with the support of the central government, the BJP government would perform better in the State.
Tanavade, however, denounced the MGP-TMC pre-poll alliance as “unnatural” in the State.
Meanwhile, Ravi Naik praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for free distribution of ration and Covid vaccination. He also praised Sawant and the BJP.
"The BJP has discipline, grass-root level capacity and has good organisation. Only this party has the potential to take development ahead,” said Naik.
Earlier in the day, Naik submitted his resignation to Legislative Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar.
He was accompanied by his two sons, who joined the ruling BJP last year.
Ravi Naik's younger son Roy Naik said he has requested his father to join the BJP.
