MAPUSA
There is a good chance that the Chief Minister of the BJP can be from the minority community in Goa, according to Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza, who is also the national general secretary of BJP Minority Morcha.
While D’Souza, on Thursday, agreed that the minorities were little skeptical in joining the saffron party for various reasons but it was slowly changing now and people from the minority community were ready to join the BJP.
“If there is a good number of representation in the legislature, I am sure there could be a chance of that (CM from the minority community) happening. It is for the party to decide. Anything is possible. I never thought that one day that I would be national general secretary of BJP Minority Morcha,” D’Souza said.
The Mapusa MLA was speaking to journalists at the sidelines of a function to declare the minority morcha cell for the Aldona constituency.
D’Souza said the BJP was very serious of bringing the minorities on board otherwise they would not have nominated a first time MLA like him to be the general secretary at the national level.
“It is a matter of…I think the party is taking cognizance of the minorities. It is important for them to have us on board. They want to know our sentiments. They are asking us. There are dialogues that happen every week…there are reports that take place,” he said.
The Mapusa MLA, who is also the GSIDC vice chairman, admitted it has taken BJP some time to reach out to minorities but the party was working towards a collective approach and taking everybody on board.
“Goa has set an example that the minorities can be a part of BJP and their representation is important for the party,” he said.
He said there was a need to bring more minorities in the party.
“Not everybody is confident. They (minorities) have their reservations. It is a matter of winning their trust and confidence,” he said.
He said the minority morcha committee of Aldona was one of its kind as in most places the minorities were Muslims.
“In Aldona it’s nice to see a good number of Catholic minorities in the BJP minority morcha committee. The other constituencies should follow their footsteps,” D’Souza said.
