Sancoale Independent Zilla Panchayat candidate Achut Naik on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, alleging that the party no longer values loyalty and grassroots workers, but instead promotes “traitors” who have little connect with party karyakartas or the people.
Speaking to reporters while campaigning in the Matve area of Dabolim along with Chicalim panch member Neelam Naik and his supporters, Naik asserted that his exit from the BJP had taken place much earlier and dismissed the party’s move to issue a letter declaring him expelled as a “political stunt” with no relevance.
“BJP is no longer the same party. Today, there is no scope for loyal supporters and karyakartas. The party only needs traitors. The candidate chosen by the BJP is someone who joined the party just a year ago and it was because of him that the BJP lost the 2022 Assembly elections,” Naik alleged.
Claiming that the BJP’s official candidate lacked grassroots backing, Naik said, “The BJP candidate does not even enjoy the support of party karyakartas. In fact, members of his own family are campaigning for an opposition candidate. Let the BJP do its own research. I challenge the party to prove my allegations wrong. If a candidate’s own family is not standing with him, how can the people be expected to do so?”
Naik clarified that there was no question of the BJP expelling him, as he had already resigned from the party long ago. “I had resigned much before all this. There is absolutely no weightage to this so-called expulsion letter,” he said.
Referring to former ZP chairperson Anita Thorat, Naik said her denial of a ticket had deeply hurt party workers.
“Anita Thorat was a sitting ZP member and had even served as the chairperson of South Goa Zilla Panchayat. She has done a lot of development work. Despite this, the BJP denied her the ticket. If this can happen to her, it can happen to any loyal karyakarta,” he remarked.
Naik said the developments should serve as a wake-up call for grassroots workers who dedicate years of their lives to the party without expecting anything in return.
Naik said he had never intended to contest the ZP elections and entered the fray only after Thorat was denied the ticket.
“I would never have contested if the BJP had given the ticket to Anita Thorat. It was only when I realised that the party was sidelining her that I decided to jump in. Instead of rewarding loyalty, the BJP chose to field a traitor and ignored both Anita Thorat and a committed karyakarta like me,” he said.
