the goan I network
MARGAO
The BJP leadership got Goa Forward Party (GFP) Chief and deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai to accompany party South Goa candidate Narendra Sawaikar to the office of Returning Officer for filing of nomination paper, but the Dy CM was still unclear whether he would hit the campaign trail for the NDA candidate.
Before Sardesai arrived at the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex to accompany Sawaikar to the office of the Returning officer, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and sitting South Goa MP Sawaikar called up the key alliance partner and invited him to accompany the party candidate at the time of filing his nomination papers.
Earlier, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar descended at the Davondem bandh early Thursday morning for a meeting with the GFP chief to allay his apprehensions over the ruling party’s role in engineering a split in the MGP. Tendulkar’s meeting with Sardesai assumed significance and it comes against the backdrop of the GFP Chief demanding clarity on the political road map of the major coalition partner post-Parrikar period.
After Sawaikar filed his nomination papers, Sardesai told the media in the presence of Sawaikar, CM and BJP ministers that since GFP is a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he has come to show his support to the BJP candidate. Elaborating further, Sardesai said, “we are coalition partners. My presence with Sawaikar is part of the coalition dharma. I have come here to support the candidate of the alliance. We are all part of the NDA alliance. I am quite sure that with all the good work he has done, it will see Sawaikar through.”
When the mediaasked him whether he would descend on the electoral field in support of the BJP candidate, Sardesai shot back saying, “you will see. Today, the media was doubting whether I will accompany Sawaikar to the office of the Returning Officer.”
Sardesai further said that the BJP has a network in the constituency, indicating that he may not actively hit the campaign for the NDA candidate on the assumption that the BJP has its presence in the constituency. His statement assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of reports that arch political rival and former two-time BJP MLA Damu Naik is on record saying that the party cadre in Fatorda will go all out to give a huge margin vote for Narendra Sawaikar.
