MARGAO
Saying that those batting for a grand alliance were doing so purely to protect their political interests and save their seats, BJP state president Damu Naik on Friday said he would not shy away from contesting the upcoming Assembly elections if asked by the party leadership.
Asked to comment on the grand alliance proposed by opposition MLAs to bring all opposition parties under one banner to defeat the BJP, Naik shot back, “The grand alliance is being proposed by people to save their political interests and seats.”
He added, “These people have been with the Aam Aadmi Party, and tomorrow, they will be with some other parties. The whole agenda of these people is to protect their political interests and save their seats. As far as Damu Naik is concerned, I have been with the BJP, am presently with the party and will remain with it in the future as well. No one can take voters for granted or treat them in an arrogant manner.”
Asked whether he would contest the upcoming Assembly elections, Naik said, “I am a loyal soldier of the BJP. I will go by the dictates of the party leadership.”
In response to another question, Naik said that people like him, who hail from ordinary families, need to be in government to serve the people.
“I have been engaged in social service for many years. But unlike industrialists, who can support education and medical facilities because they have access to financial resources, people like me cannot afford to spend huge sums of money on such facilities. Hence, one way to reach out to people is to get elected and be in government,” he added.
