MGP in ideological crisis

PANAJI 
The oldest political party in Goa, MGP, is now facing serious ideological crisis over organising carnival on February 13 at Morjim in Mandrem.  
Goa’s first chief minister and founder of MG party Dayanand alias Bhausaheb Bandodkar had represented this constituency. Pernem taluka, the earlier bastion of MGP had been later snatched by Congress and BJP, but is now regained by MGP with Manohar alias Babu Ajgaonkar being elected in the last Assembly elections.  
Ajgaonkar who is also the tourism minister in the BJP alliance government has planned to organise carnival for the first time in Pernem taluka. However, Pednekars are up in arms against this festival which promotes erstwhile Portuguese culture. 
“How can a party which represents Bhausaheb Bandodkar and respects Indian and Goan cultural heritage allow this festival to happen in Pernem”, asks Raghoba Gawde, a prominent MGP worker and a Panch member of Mandrem Panchayat.  
MGP’s senior leader and PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar who is also known to follow Indian culture cannot permit it too. If he can stand in support to oppose Narkasur effigies and bikinies on Goan beaches, he will definitely not allow carnival to pollute the cultural integrity of Pernem, said Gawde, who is in the forefront of the carnival agitation in Pernem.  
Tourism Minister Babu Ajgaonkar has formed an organising committee under the leadership of Jeet Arolkar, Director of Tourism Development Corporation and right hand of Babu Ajgaonkar. Many members on the committee have complained that their names have been included in the committee without their knowledge.  
Ajgaonkar represents Pernem constituency but has planned to organise carnival at Morjim which is part of Mandrem constituency. Dayanand Sopte, Congress MLA who represents Mandrem constituency also conveyed his displeasure over the same.  
Babu Ajgaonkar, however, claims that carnival is being organised for communal harmony in the taluka. “If Sigmotsav can be organised here why not carnival”, he reasoned. But Opposition fronts refuse to buy Ajgaonkar’s reasoning and claim it is only to promote Jeet Arolkar, who has plans to contest next Assembly elections from Mandrem constituency. 
MGP sources have denied that this issue had been discussed at the meeting. Babu Ajgaonkar, who being an MLA of MGP neither attends party meetings nor does he consult Dhavalikar brothers on various issues, revealed sources.  
With MGP workers in no mood to relent, they have now urged Party president Deepak Dhavalikar and senior leader of the party Sudin to intervene in the matter and cancel the event to safeguard the image of the party.