MARGAO
Intense factionalism has forced BJP Margao candidate Dr Desh Prabhudesai to back out as the party candidate in the ensuing polls.
Desh, who was projected as the candidate to take on Opposition leader Digambar Kamat, said, “I and the party leadership have mutually agreed that I will not be the candidate for Margao. Instead, I will work for the organization to strengthen the unit ahead of the polls.
He added: “There’s hardly any time left for the election. As a candidate one has to kick start the campaign and move ahead. At the same time, I had to contend with various factions in the party. A time came wherein I had to play the role in the organization or be a candidate. In the given situation, I preferred to opt to work for the organization”.
On the day of Desh’s office inauguration, party Margao mandal president Rupesh Mahatme and general secretary Ketan Kurtarkar were conspicuous by their absence.
Though the two tried to defend their absence by saying they were preoccupied with a wedding of a close relative, the message had gone out that all’s not well in the party.
Taking the episode in his stride, Desh went about his work as the probable candidate, by accompanying Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal during his meeting with city-based businessmen.
The last straw came after party senior leader Bhai Naik openly declared his support to Kamat in the coming polls. Bhai said he has been told by around 100 supporters to support the winning candidate in Margao this time around.
Sources in the BJP said Bhai’s decision to make public his stand to rally behind the Congress candidate and Opposition leader came as a shock and surprise to the party leadership and sent wrong signals across the state.
“Desh might have backed out of the fray, but our leadership has a task cut out to unveil a candidate, who is acceptable to all factions of the party in Margao”, remarked a local leader.
