CRUCIAL MEET TODAY
>> Amit Shah has called for a meeting with the alliance partners on Wednesday in the national capital to discuss Goa’s political scenario>> Distribution of portfolios and likely unveiling of successor to Manohar Parrikar if the Chief Minister steps down on health grounds
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Goa Forward party will take a stand on the Chief Minister’s post only after the BJP unveils its position
- Vijai Sardesai
MARGAO: After a day of hectic political activity which culminated in the Congress virtually losing its status as the single largest party in the Goa Legislative Assembly, all eyes are now focused on the key alliance partner, Goa Forward Party, as BJP Chief Amit Shah is expected to go into a huddle with the coalition partners on Wednesday, to discuss issues concerning the coalition government, including shortlisting the name of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s successor.
On the eve of his visit to the national capital, the Goa Forward party supremo said it is for the BJP leadership to first unveil the name for the top post before the alliance partners give their say.
Sardesai had on Sunday dropped a clear hint to party workers in Cuncolim that the Goa Forward was ready to do business with the BJP in a post-Parrikar political scenario, notwithstanding that the TCP Minister had insisted at the time of government formation that the regional party had only extended support to Manohar Parikar to head the coalition government.
While ruling out mid-term polls, the TCP Minister had said the onus of the continuance of the coalition government, with or without Manohar Parrikar as the Chief Minister lies with the BJP, clearly indicating that the Goa Forward was ready to accept a leader other than Parrikar in the event the Chief Minister steps down on health grounds.
In the same vein, however, Sardesai had also declined to discuss post-Parrikar scenario when media persons sought to know if Goa Forward party would back BJP leader and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.
“BJP President Amit Shah has called for a meeting with the Alliance partners on Wednesday in the national capital to discuss Goa’s political scenario in the wake of the emerging development. We also expect the BJP leadership to also unveil its choice of successor for Manohar Parrikar if the Chief Minister steps down on health grounds,” Sardesai said, adding the Goa Forward party will take a stand on the Chief Minister’s post only after the BJP unveils its position.
Though the BJP has managed to reduce the strength of the Congress party in the Goa Legislative Assembly from 16 to 14 members, the future of the BJP is still dependent on the alliance partners if it wants to run the show in the state, at least till the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
In the past, when Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had reportedly offered to step down from office on health grounds during Ganesh Chathurti, the Goa Forward party had expressed its willingness to support Goa State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar for the post of Chief Minister. The proposal, however, did not merit much attention after the Chief Minister was shifted to the AIIMS Delhi, with Parrikar discharging his duties from the hospital.
Sources said the BJP leadership is also expected to discuss with the alliance partners the issue of distribution of portfolios as well, with the partners, including the Goa Forward, making it clear that that they will react to the portfolios only the offer comes from the major partner.
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Parsekar spits fire at party, says
Goan politics stooped very low
* Reacts strongly to entry of Congress MLAs into party
* Blames party for making him 2017 debacle scapegoat
It was Manohar Parrikar who prepared the party manifesto, selected party candidates and planned the entire election campaign along with other committee members of the party. Were they not equally responsible for the defeat of the party? But they kept quiet and I was made the scapegoatPANAJI: Lashing out at his party over the latest developments leading to the resignation of two Congress MLAs and their entry into the BJP on Tuesday, former chief minister and senior BJP leader Laxmikant Parsekar claimed that politics in Goa had stooped very low.
- Laxmikant Parsekar
Speaking to reporters, Parsekar claimed that politics in Goa had stooped very low with the entry of two Congress MLAs into the BJP, adding that recent developments on the political front were not a healthy situation.
Insisting that even he was sidelined and kept in the dark regarding Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte's decision to step down and join the BJP, Parsekar maintained that the issue had not been discussed in the BJP meeting.
“I was kept in the dark about Sopte joining the BJP,” said Parsekar, who had been defeated by Sopte in the 2017 election in Mandrem constituency.
Seeking to clarify his position following the 2017 assembly polls, Parsekar said: “Immediately after the 2017 assembly elections, I submitted my resignation to the governor and accepted full responsibility for BJP's defeat in the elections. However, the BJP office bearers preferred to keep silent in this regard.”
The former chief minister claimed that though his successor, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had masterminded the entire election strategy, he was made the scapegoat for BJP's dismal performance at the elections.
“It was Manohar Parrikar who prepared the party manifesto, selected party candidates and planned the entire election campaign along with other committee members of the party. Were they not equally responsible for the defeat of the party? But they kept quiet and I was made the scapegoat,” said Parsekar.
Parsekar also chided the BJP for unfairly forming the government despite being unable to secure an absolute majority.
“Even after the party's defeat and being unable to secure an absolute majority, the BJP formed the government which was unfair. In the hope that the party high command would realise its mistake of forming the government, I remained silent.”
Taking a dig at his political rival, Sopte, who joined the party on Tuesday, Parsekar accused Sopte of betraying the people of Mandrem constituency.
“Sopte, who was elected by the people for five years, has betrayed the people by leaving his party within a year-and-half of becoming MLA and joining the BJP.”
“This shows that the Goan politics has stooped very low. This has to be stopped,” said Parsekar.
