PANAJI
Just because Siddesh Naik's father, Shripad, is a Union minister, it does not guarantee him a ticket to contest the Cumbharjua assembly seat, sitting BJP MLA Pandurang Madkaikar charged on Wednesday. The former Minister also said that instead of advising him not to contest the seat in the 2022 assembly polls, Siddesh should instead advise his father to not contest the Lok Sabha election, claiming that there is very little development in the North Goa constituency under Shripad Naik's long reign as MP.
"A sitting MLA has first priority. BJP is a national party, they have the system in the party. It is not that somebody's father is a minister, that he will get the ticket. Finally, the party will see who is the sitting MLA, who has got the good potential to win there," Madkaikar told reporters in Panaji, when asked about efforts being made by Siddhesh and other aspirants to claim a ticket for the Cumbharjua seat.
Madkaikar also said that Siddesh and other potential candidates like Sameer Volvoikar only wanted to "increase their bargaining power" in the hope of eventually netting a party ticket.
"They also want to increase their bargaining power. They may not bargain with me, but definitely, they may bargain with their party," Madkaikar said.
Responding to alleged recent comments made by Siddesh, urging Madkaikar to not contest the 2022 polls, the sitting MLA said that instead of advising him, Siddesh should advise his father, Shripad Naik, who is currently a Union Minister of State for Shipping.
"First, he should advise his father because his father has been contesting elections for so many years and people talk very negatively about him. That even after him being a national minister, no development has taken place in our North Goa. Such comments are going on in the air. Let him first advise his father," Madkaikar said.
Madkaikar also said that healthwise, he was fit to contest an election. Madkaikar had suffered a brain stroke in 2018.
Siddesh and Madkaikar have been at loggerheads ever since Madkaikar entered the BJP in 2016.
