PANAJI
Former panchayats minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Sunday quit the Congress Party and joined the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). Goa Cricket Association Secretary Vinod Phadke too joined MGP along with him.
As soon as Ajgaonkar joined, MGP President Deepak Dhavalikar announced that he would be MGP’s candidate from Pernem constituency in the upcoming State Legislative Assembly polls.
Speaking to media after welcoming Ajgaonkar and Phadke, Dhavalikar said, “In the last 10 years we were mocked at and termed as ‘jokers’. But now, people want to elect MGP to power. We want to build the image of the party. We welcome ‘Babu’ in the party. He would be MGP’s candidate from Pernem. This is just the beginning. MGP is in people’s blood and we will make all efforts to give good governance to the people of Goa in 2017 elections.”
Speaking after joining MGP, Phadke said, “Goa needs a political change and MGP is the only party which can do it. People want a chief minister from MGP as it is a local party working in the interest of the State. Our leaders will decide about who would be the party’s candidate in Mapusa constituency.”
Expressing his pleasure, Ajgaonkar said, “I am fortunate to join the MGP. I have earlier been elected on the Congress as well as the BJP ticket and have closely seen the work of both the parties.
There is a lot of difference in the governance by MGP in the first 17 years under Bhausaheb Bandodkar and governance by these two political parties. They have only cheated the people of Goa.
Stating that Congress and BJP are national parties and are not working in the interest of the State, he said, "MGP is the only party which can protect Goa’s culture and identity.”
He strongly stated that MGP will not let any non-Goans work at the proposed greenfield airport at Mopa and will initiate necessary steps towards providing employment to Goan youth.
Assuring that he would be with Dhavalikar in all initiatives that are in the interest of Goa, he said, “We want to see him as the next chief minister. We want to take dreams of Bhausaheb Bandodkar forward.”
