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THE GOAN SPECIAL
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Putting all speculations to rest, Deputy Chief Minister and Mapusa MLA Francis D’Souza said that he has no problem to go as governor to another State. He said no post was permanent and he had no issues if the party decided to elevate him but for the moment the focus was to elect 25 MLAs for the party in the ensuing election.
“We are just 21MLAs now. Once we become 25, I don’t mind my party sending me anywhere in the country. With 21 MLAs, we cannot do it…Will the government run with 20 MLAs? I have no issues if I am being elevated and sent somewhere else…,” D’Souza said to The Goan.
He also dispelled the notion that the party was off late trying to ignore him, claiming that he has been representing the party at all key events in the state and national level.
“I represented the chief minister at the GST meet. Recently, I represented the chief minister for the curtain raiser function for IFFI along with Union Minister, Venkiah Naidu. I don’t see any perception in the public that I have been sidelined or reduced in importance,” he said.
As elections draw near, news about BJP planning to dispatch the deputy CM as the governor of a State started to circulate among the local MLA's friends and foes in the town.
There were also talks that BJP was desperately trying to ignore the minority face of the party in bid to humiliate him so that he quits the party in a huff.
The deputy chief minister however said he was very much in the race for the 2017 assembly elections and would contest only on lotus symbol.
“One hundred percent I will contest the 2017 assembly election from Mapusa. And I will contest only on BJP ticket. I have decided not to change parties anymore,” D’Souza said, well aware of his dubious record of changing parties in quick succession when he was first elected to the assembly.
Stating the 2017 assembly polls would be the easiest election for the BJP, D’Souza said the party will retain its vote share because the BJP-led government has performed.
“We are the only government that has delivered. I can discuss and debate on any platform that we have promised and delivered in all spheres of life. There are always some contentious issues...There's nothing to say that our functioning was worse than the earlier government,” he said.
The deputy CM also had a word of praise for the Chief Minister and attributed the successful launch of the new health scheme to Parsekar.
“The Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana was CM's achievement. He was the health minister. After he became the chief minister he brought the scheme into existence. It is one of the best schemes the government has given to the people of Goa,” he said.
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We are just 21MLAs now. Once we become 25, I don’t mind my party sending me anywhere in the country
- Francis D'Souza, Dy Chief Minister
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HAS THE WISH TO
BE THE CM BUT...
* The Deputy Chief Minister says he very well had the wish to be chief minister of the State, but for that to realize the elected members would have to support him
* I want to be the CM. But it is for the MLAs to choose the CM. I cannot impose myself as the CM. At the most, I can volunteer myself to be the CM. But there has to be takers' know, he says
* According to him, a similar opportunity was there for the taking when former Manohar Parrikar was elevated as the defence minister two years ago
* He says that, at that time, he thought the MLAs had supported him for the top post and therefore claimed for the CM’s post then. But at the crucial time, very few MLAs backed him
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SAYS FRANCIS D'SOUZA ...
PARSEKAR JUST CARRIED
FORWARD INITIATIVES
OF MANOHAR PARRIKAR
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AAP IDEOLOGY IS ONLY
TO MAKE PROMISES
AND DELIVER NOTHING
>> See pg 10
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FOR PAGE 10
Parsekar just carried
forward initiatives
of Parrikar: D'Souza
THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA: Asked to analyse the government's administration under Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar as compared to former chief minister, Manohar Parrikar, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza said the new chief minister just carried forward the initiatives kick started by Parrikar.
“What was done by Parrikar has been carried forward. No new things have happened that way. The new chief minister stepped in the shoes of the old chief minister. He has carried forward most of the things,” he said.
D'Souza said the real test would be for the new chief minister who will take over after the 2017 assembly elections.
The deputy chief minister also said that most incumbents in the current assembly will get tickets for the 2017 assembly polls except a couple of seats where the party may decide otherwise.
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AAP is a party of
promises, but no
delivery: Dy CM
Deputy Chief Minister Francisco D’Souza laughed at the stories doing the rounds of him joining Aam Aadmi Party and made light work of the fledgling party’s ideology.
“There’s no foundation to the news of me joining AAP. Just because Elvis Gomes was my DMA in the Urban Development ministry, people are drawing conclusions. He’s a good friend. I even spoke to him yesterday,” D’Souza said.
He said AAP was a new party with a new ideology and that none of them could come to terms to accept that party’s ideology.
“Their ideology is only to make promises and no delivery. Promise everything in the world and don’t deliver anything. That works well for a short while,” he said.
