the goan I network
PANAJI
A day after the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) extended support to candidates of the Opposition Congress for the April 23 Lok Sabha elections, the party followed up by deciding to withdraw from the BJP-led ruling coalition and is expected to soon submit a letter to Governor Mridula Sinha formally withdrawing support of its lone MLA to the Pramod Sawant government.
“The MGP has formally resolved to withdraw from the ruling coalition,” MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar told the media after a meeting of party workers held at Mangueshi on Friday and where Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar was invited.
The meeting held barely a day after MGP formally declared support to the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls, came as a boost to the Opposition party’s campaign.
At the meeting, Dhavalikar lashed out at the BJP and appealed to MGP workers all over North Goa to support Chodankar in the Lok Sabha polls.
“The MGP had supported the BJP party to form the State government, but they betrayed us. The MGP had given BJP’s North Goa candidate Shripad Naik 18,000 votes in Priol constituency in the 2014 elections. This time, these votes should go to Congress’ Girish Chodankar,” Dhavalikar said.
Dhavalikar also accused the BJP government of halting development work in Priol constituency, which he had represented for two terms,
Chodankar in his address to the MGP workers said, the people of Goa had welcomed their decision to support the Congress.
“This decision was taken by MGP at the right time and it was the need of hour,” Chodankar said, adding that BJP was ‘buying’ MLAs due to its greed to remain in power.
The Congress is sure to win both Lok Sabha seats in the State with the support of MGP, which has a large vote share in Goa, Chodankar added.
The MGP had been a coalition partner of the BJP since 2012, prior to which it had allied with the Digambar Kamat-led Congress government from 2007-12.
However, in the leadership change following the death of Manohar Parrikar, relations between the two parties soured after the BJP split
the 3-member legislature
party of the MGP and inducted two legislators into the
party.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also simultaneously sacked the lone MGP MLA, Sudin Dhavlikar from the cabinet.
DETERIORATING RELATIONS
The MGP had been a coalition partner of the BJP since 2012, prior to which it had allied with the Digambar Kamat-led Congress government from 2007-12
Relations between the two parties soured after the BJP split the 3-member legislature party of the MGP and inducted two legislators into the party
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also simultaneously sacked the lone MGP MLA, Sudin Dhavlikar from the cabinet
