the goan I network
PANAJI
Reacting to the Shiv Sena in Goa coming out and talking about forming a front in Goa just like it has in Maharashtra, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday rubbished the talks, dismissing the right-wing party’s Goa unit as “third class.”
“No one is going to give those crazy people (pishe) space in Goan politics. Just because they’re in the government in Maharashtra doesn’t mean the same will happen here. They have never bagged even one seat in Goa. They’ve experimented a lot in Goa in the past, but have never succeeded,” said Rane addressing a press conference at his office in Miramar.
He, however, said that those who are not in the government, can make as many “fronts” as they want in Goa, but from the ruling party, no one wanted to ally with the Shiv Sena.
“We do not want to commit political suicide by allying with a third-class party. It’s a party that Catholics abhor, so there’s no way that the Shiv Sena stands any chance in Goa. The BJP in Goa is a secular party, and had become so under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar. Our outlook here is completely different,” said the Valpoi MLA, adding, “All these idle political talks should be taken with a pinch of salt and laughed off.”
Rane also claimed that all 27 MLAs of the BJP were “united” and “happy with Pramod Sawant as CM.” “Here and there we are friends with people from other parties, Goa being such a small State. But friendship is different from politics,” he said.
The Minister, however, admitted to there being a host of problems in Goa which needed to be sorted before the government’s term ended. These problems included the traffic jams on the Margao-Panaji highway, as well as the mining ban.
