PANAJI: Former minister and ex-Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar on Friday resigned from the BJP, quitting the party as well as all organisational positions and responsibilities assigned to him.
Salgaonkar said he met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and BJP state president earlier in the day and formally submitted his resignation. He said the decision followed repeated requests from supporters, panchayat members, party workers and residents of Saligao who, according to him, wanted him to return to active politics.
“My political journey has always been deeply connected with the people. My friends, panchayat members, party workers and supporters have been constantly telling me that Saligao needs me back,” Salgaonkar said, while addressing a press conference.
He said he had gradually stepped back from active politics after contesting the 2022 Assembly election on a BJP ticket and became “completely disconnected” from party functions.
Salgaonkar said his return was not driven by personal political ambition but by what he described as growing concerns over issues affecting Saligao. “Politics is a medium of service. For me, politics is not about personal gains or playing high-level political games. I wanted to play a meaningful political role,” he said.
He also spoke at length about development projects he claimed to have initiated during his tenure as MLA and minister, saying several remained incomplete or had not progressed as expected. “There were over 97 works in the pipeline, but none of them moved forward,” he claimed, adding that the constituency needed to “bring things back on track”.
Among the projects he cited was the 20 MLD raw water treatment plant, which he said was initiated in 2020 in coordination with then Calangute MLA Michael Lobo. He said the tender was completed and the work order issued during his tenure.
Salgaonkar also said he had pursued an electricity substation for Saligao to address power cuts and load shedding. He pointed to the establishment of a Primary Health Centre as another project he had taken up with then Health Minister Vishwajit Rane. “I initiated those works. If the sitting MLA did any work, it was just doing inaugurations for one or two of those,” Salgaonkar said.
He alleged that some projects initiated during his tenure were being completed or inaugurated later with the current MLA taking credit. “They just want to take credit for my work,” he alleged.
Salgaonkar also criticised what he described as the political treatment of local issues under the current MLA Kedar Naik. He said genuine public concerns should not be given a political colour. “I act according to my thoughts and my people's wishes, so that they can live fearlessly,” he said.
The former MLA identified garbage management as one of the most pressing problems facing Saligao. He said the waste treatment plant, which was initially intended to cater to Saligao and Calangute, was now receiving garbage from almost across Goa. “The garbage issue has made the lives of Saligao residents miserable,” he said, citing foul odour, the movement of garbage trucks and leachate leakage during transportation.
He also raised concerns over development pressures on the constituency's hills and alleged attempts to convert areas designated as No Development Zones. Salgaonkar said such proposals were being opposed in Gram Sabhas.
“Saligao should be about people first, party second,” he said, adding that his priorities would be development and preservation of the constituency's heritage.
On the BJP's internal functioning, Salgaonkar alleged that a section of loyal party workers who had supported him were sidelined. “The workers who worked alongside me, including loyal BJP party workers, have been completely left out and sidelined,” he said, adding that this had contributed to his decision to seek an alternative.
Salgaonkar, who had joined the BJP in December 2021 after quitting the Goa Forward Party, had contested the 2022 Saligao election on a BJP ticket but lost to Kedar Naik. Naik, then contesting for Congress, defeated Salgaonkar by 1,899 votes and subsequently joined the BJP.
When asked whether he considered contesting the last election on a BJP ticket a mistake, Salgaonkar said a section of BJP workers had worked for him but were subsequently ignored.
He was also asked about former minister Dilip Parulekar, who is being seen as another potential contender for the BJP ticket in Saligao. Salgaonkar said Parulekar had his own voter base and would naturally make an effort to secure the ticket.
However, Salgaonkar insisted that his resignation was not linked to the BJP's future ticket decision. “A ticket is a matter of timing. The party has not decided on tickets yet. My resignation has been submitted much before any decision on tickets,” he said.
He also dismissed speculation about immediately joining another party, including the Goa Forward Party, saying his immediate focus would be to reconnect with voters. “My next step is to go door-to-door, meet the people in every house, understand their problems, and work for them,” he said.
Asked directly whether he would contest the 2027 Assembly election, Salgaonkar said, “Yes, 110 per cent.” On which party he would contest from, he said, “Party, we'll decide later.”
Salgaonkar described his resignation as a setback for the BJP when asked about its political implications. He said his immediate priority would be to rebuild his political connect in Saligao and work on issues raised by residents.
“The absolute priority is the development of Saligao and preserving its heritage. There is a lot of work to be done,” Salgaonkar said.
