MAPUSA
State BJP President Sadanand Tanavade on Friday said that there was “no chance” of changing the chief minister in Goa before the approaching election but put the ball in the centre’s court on who will be the CM face in the 2022 assembly polls.
Tanavade also admitted that the ongoing 20-day programme on the commemoration of PM’s birthday and his two decades in electoral politics in a way will boost the BJP’s election campaign in the State.
“There’s no chance of CM change in Goa. Our national President J P Nadda has also made it very clear. So there is no doubt about that. Nadda has made it very clear when he was down in Goa in July,” Tanavade said.
The State party president was responding to a query whether the central leadership was contemplating to change the leadership in the State in view of the change in CMs in two poll-bound states -- Uttarakhand and more recently in Gujarat.
Earlier, former CM B S Yediyurappa was also replaced in neighbouring Karnataka state.
Tanavade further said that it was not in his hands to declare the CM face but the parliamentary board will make the announcement.
“Nadda had already declared that Pramod Sawant will be the campaign face of the BJP in the elections and the formal announcement on the leadership will be made by the parliamentary board,” he said.
Tanavade said BJP organizes welfare activities on PM Narendra Modi’s birth anniversary every year but since this year it is an election year, the party would benefit.
“It’s not that we are doing the programme because it’s an election year. But there is an opportunity for us this year as elections are due in January or February 2022, and therefore it will benefit the karyakartas who will be actively participating in this 20-day programme,” he said.
On the tussle between a cabinet minister who is vouching for the candidature of his spouse and former BJP MLA in Siolim constituency, the BJP chief said the State election in charge Devendra Fadnavis who is expected to be in Goa on Sept 20 will take proper decision in the matter.
“In any case, until the elections are not announced, nobody can predict who will be the candidate. BJP has a system and on that basis, party candidate is decided. It does not depend even on me as the party president,” he said.
