MAPUSA: BJP State President Vinay Tendulkar on Monday admitted that the party had failed to reign in some of its new MLAs, who criticized the government’s position in public.
The State BJP president also said his party would be happy if the elections were held in the end of January 2017 or first week of February.
Addressing a news conference in Mapusa on Monday, Tendulkar said the party probably fell short while mentoring some of the new MLAs and therefore, they openly expressed their personal views in public.
“With the exception of one, no other MLA has criticized the party in the last six months,” Tendulkar said, without taking names.
When coaxed to name the MLA, he said: “Everyone knows who the MLA is.”
Tendulkar was speaking to the media in Mapusa while announcing the party’s recent election to various Samitis and Mandals in North Goa District.
The party president then took pains to clarify that the MLA did not criticize the party position but expressed his personal opinion on issues, especially on development front.
It may be recalled that Calangute's BJP MLA Michael Lobo had been quite vocal in expressing his views, whether it was the tourist taxi-private cab or as recently as on the heli-tourism.
The State BJP president said his party would be happy if the elections were held in the end of January 2017 or first week of February.
“In December, we first have the feast of St Francis Xavier, then Christmas and later music festivals like the Sunburn and Supersonic, where security could be a concern,” Tendulkar contended.
He said the BJP was currently in alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and had the backing of the Goa Vikas Party.
“Our aim is to bring BJP to power in 2017. Last time we contested in 28 seats and emerged victorious in 21. In 2017, our target is to bag 26 seats,” the party president said.
He said the party will assess the work carried out by every BJP legislator and after taking the kKaryakatas into confidence the party will decide to re-nominate the MLAs for the 2017 assembly election or not.
He sought to dispel any fear on the opposition campaign against declassification of the coconut tree and its effect on the prospects of the party in the approaching assembly election.
“Nowhere in the amendment have we called the coconut tree as grass, as some of the opposition people seek to portray,” he said, brushing the aside the opposition campaign on the issue.
The parliamentary panel’s recent opposition over the way the Investment Promotion Board was issuing licences to projects, Tendukar said the IPB was doing a good job and acted as a single window avenue for industrialists that want to start business in State.
“The parliamentary panel is headed by a Congress MP whose job is to find fault. We have to see the welfare of our State,” the party president said.
