MANDREKAR-SPEAK
>> The BJP and the MGP are natural alliance partners given that the two parties share a similar ideology
>> First get a Bhandari Samaj leader to head the Goa Forward party before rooting for a Bhandari Samaj leader as the future CM of Goa
>> Bhandari Samaj voters had stayed away from the BJP in the last Assembly election, but efforts are now underway to woo them back
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FRICTION AREAS
>> Fatorda (Vijai Sardesai)
>> Siolim (Vinod Paliencar)
>> Saligao (Jayesh Salgaoncar)
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MARGAO: In a development that throws light on the undercurrents in the BJP over the party’s future alliance with the Goa Forward party, BJP former Minister and party OBC Cell Chairman Dayanand Mandrekar on Sunday made it clear that, the BJP will contest the seats of Saligao, Siolim and Fatorda represented by the Goa Forward ministers in the coming election, saying the BJP and Goa Forward party are poles apart ideologically.
Mandrekar further dared the two Ministers -- Jayesh and Vinod -- to first get a Bhandari Samaj community leader to head the Goa Forward party which is now headed by Vijai Sardesai, before rooting for a Bhandari leader as the future Chief Minister of Goa. He also conceded that the Bhandari Samaj voters had stayed away from the BJP in the last Assembly election, saying efforts are now underway in the BJP to rectify the mistakes.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a function held at the South Goa BJP office to welcome Bhandari Samaj leader Sunil Naik into the BJP fold, Mandrekar said that there cannot be an alliance between the BJP and the Goa Forward, saying the two parties are ideologically poles apart. In fact, he went on to say that the BJP and the MGP are natural alliance partners given that the two parties share a similar ideology.
He made the comment when asked whether the BJP would leave the three seats of Fatorda, Siolim and Saligao to the BJP in the next Assembly election given that the two parties are now part of the coalition government. “The BJP and the Goa Forward party has come together to form the government after the BJP fell short of the required numbers. I do not think that there’s any possibility of the two parties contesting the election together as they are poles apart ideologically. Hence, the BJP will contest the elections in Fatorda, Siolim and Saligao presently represented by the Goa Forward supremo Vijai Sardesai, WRD Minister Vinod Palinekar and Jayesh Salgaocar respectively,” Mandrekar said.
Mandrekar further went on to state that the Goa Forward party had polled votes in the last election mostly from the Congress areas, adding “the BJP and MGP are natural partners given that the two parties share a common ideology”.
On the stand adopted by the two Goa Forward party Ministers Jayesh and Vinod, who belong to the Bhandari Samaj, that the future Chief Minister ought to be from the community, Mandrekar shot back “just talking in the air will not help the community. If the two Ministers are really concerned about the community, they should first get a Bhandari leader to head to the Goa Forward party before talking about making a Bhandari Samaj leader as the future chief Minister.
Mandrekar’s statement assumes significance given that the party cadre and former MLA Damu Naik has been lying low in Fatorda since arch rival and Goa Forward party supremo Vijai Sardesai joined hands with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to form a coalition government.
