CANACONA
Claiming that leaders who worked to defeat the BJP in the 2017 elections were now seeking party tickets, Deputy Speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes told BJP election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis that the same leaders had deprived BJP of forming a government on its own at the time.
Fernandes later clarified that his comments to Fadnavis were general in nature and not aimed at any particular BJP leader in the State.
During his meeting, Fernandes is reported to have told Fadnavis that then Congress MLAs had joined the BJP to strengthen the government and bring about development in the State.
Fernandes went on to add that some BJP leaders, who had worked against the party and had even contested the 2017 assembly polls to ensure the defeat of BJP candidates, were now demanding BJP tickets to contest 2022 assembly elections.
“If not for these leaders, the BJP would have formed a government on its own in 2017,” Fernandes is reported to have told Fadnavis.
When contacted, Fernandes admitted having made the comments during his interaction with Fadnavis.
When asked specifically if he had been referring to former minister Ramesh Tawadkar, who is also seeking the BJP ticket from the Canacona constituency, Fernandes refused to point fingers at Tawadkar.
“No, I do not have any particular name, but my statement was based in general,” insisted Fernandes.
But many in Canacona have opined that Fernandes’ comments were directly aimed at Tawadkar.
They recalled that Tawadkar had openly revolted against the BJP and had even contested as a rebel independent candidate against then party candidate, Vijay Poi Khot, in 2017, thereby splitting BJP votes and ensuring the victory of the then Congress candidate, Isidore Fernandes.
Tawadkar has been openly staking claim to the BJP ticket from Canacona constituency at the upcoming elections, especially since he was later admitted back to BJP after the 2017 elections and has been given various positions, including the party's state vice-president and chairperson of the state SC/ST commission.
On the other hand, Poi Khot has almost given up the claim for the party ticket.
Meanwhile, Fernandes said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant would be visiting Canacona on Saturday and added that his itinerary would be made public by Thursday.
