PANAJI
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party may be taking an inordinately long while to announce the identity of its new chief minister for Goa, but the party is already off the blocks vis a vis preparation for the upcoming panchayat and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, according to its state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade.
Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Tanavade also said that the party’s state unit had already submitted profiles of all winning legislators to the BJP central leadership, adding that the appointment of a Chief Minister and the swearing-in of members of the new cabinet could take place soon after Holi festivities.
“BJP will win both MP seats in North Goa and South Goa constituencies. Before that, we will win panchayat elections too. We have started planning for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and panchayat polls too. 100 per cent we will win,” Tanavade told reporters.
Panchayat polls are expected to be held in mid-2022.
The state president also said that during his visit to the national capital along with caretaker Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the party’s state organising secretary Satish Dhond, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda among other central BJP leaders, the party had detailed discussions into the reasons for the wins and losses faced by the party in the February 14 polls.
“After the Goa assembly polls, we have to submit an overall report to the central leadership. How many constituencies we won, where all we fell short. What we need to do in those areas where we lost now. What are the reasons. Such meetings are held in relation to all states where polls are held. Reasons behind victory and loss are assessed,” Tanavade said, adding that former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis, Nadda and national general secretary BL Santosh, and national general secretary in-charge of Goa CT Ravi also participated in the election post-mortem.
Tanavade further said that the BJP’s central leader namely Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was expected to arrive in Goa and the party’s decision related to chief ministership would be known “in a couple of days”.
BJP insiders maintain that Sawant’s name had been informally cleared by the party’s high command for the post of chief minister and that the formal announcement would be made soon.
