the goan I network
MARGAO
Apparently toeing the line of the current BJP leadership headed by CM Pramod Sawant, newly-elected BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Wednesday said there’s isn’t going to be any more Mission Salcete in the minority-dominated taluka.
Tanavade, however, was quick to add that instead of embarking on a separate mission for Salcete, the BJP will mete out equal importance for Salcete along with the rest of the state.
The newly-elected BJP state president’s remarks are in tune with the current thinking of the party leadership that the party should not continue with Mission Salcete initiated by former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
In fact, it was Parrikar’s successor and current Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who during the Lok Sabha election campaign, unequivocally announced that the party will not embark on any special mission in the minority-dominated taluka.
“We will accord equal importance to all 40 Assembly constituencies. South Goa district itself has 20 Assembly constituencies, including the eight constituencies in Salcete and all the seats will be treated equally,” he said.
Justifying his statement and conveying a message that the Party did not ignore the three-minority dominated seats of Nuvem, Velim and Benaulim during the organization elections, Tanavade said the BJP has constituted all the block committees, including the seats dominated by the minority community.
Earlier, in his maiden address to the BJP block presidents and other leaders from South Goa, Tanavade said.
Asked for his comments on BJP’s strategy for the ensuing Zilla Panchayat election for the nine ZP seats in Salcete, Tanavade shot back saying the party will not make the contesting the ZP seats in Salcete a matter of prestige, saying the party is gearing up to get a full majority in the 2022 Assembly election. “Our entire focus is on the 2022 Assembly election as we have decided to get majority seats on our own,” he added.
Addressing the party karyakartas at the district office on Wednesday, Tanavade conveyed a clear message to the party rank and file from South Goa “ work hard to strengthen the organization if they want the party to form a government on its own without support from other parties and individuals.
Tanavade’s message was intended to party cadre, apparently in a bid to cap resentment brewing in certain sections that they stand sidelined in the party scheme of things with the party opening its doors to outsiders.
In his maiden address to the South Goa BJP leaders, including the block presidents from South district, in the presence of former South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, BJP general secretary Damu Naik, district president Tulsidas Naik, Margao Block president Rupesh Mahatme and others, Tanavade called upon the workers to ensure that the party regain the South Goa Lok Sabha seat in the next election.
Earlier, district President Tulsidas Naik urged Tanavade to make the party ministers from South Goa visit the district office and hear the grievances of the workers.
