PERNEM
In a setback to the Congress, Pernem Block Congress President Krishna Naik resigned from the party and along with his supporters joined the BJP.
Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar welcomed Krishna Naik and his supporters into the BJP at a special event in the Pernem Municipal Hall, which was attended by BJP office-bearers and party workers.
Speaking to media persons after joining the BJP, Krishna Naik said there was a lack of leadership in Congress.
“I decided to leave the Congress and join the BJP after taking note of the development work carried out by Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar in the constituency, and the BJP's robust organisational structure,” said Naik. “On the other hand, sensing a lack of capable leadership within the Congress, I decided to resign from my Congress post and join the BJP along with my supporters.” While welcoming Krishna Naik into the party, MLA Pravin Arlekar asserted that his entry has further strengthened the BJP organisation in Pernem. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ (Congress-free India). We are working towards further strengthening the BJP organisation in Pernem constituency as well,” said Arlekar.
“We wholeheartedly welcome Krishna Naik, who has resigned as Congress Pernem Block President, to join the BJP with his supporters. His entry will provide a significant boost to the party's organisational activities,” Arlekar said. He added that efforts to bring more citizens and party workers from the Pernem constituency into the fold of the BJP’s development agenda would continue in the future. As preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections gradually gain momentum, political activity—including party-switching—has intensified in the Pernem constituency. In this context, the resignation of Krishna Naik and his subsequent decision to join the BJP is being viewed as a significant organisational setback for the Congress party.
Congress unaffected if a few
leave party: GPCC gen secy
PERNEM: Reacting to the resignation of Pernem Block Congress President Krishna Naik and his entry into the BJP along with his supporters, GPCC General Secretary Adv Jitendra Gaonkar said the Congress will not end just because a few individuals leave the party.
Addressing a news conference, Gaonkar said it is impossible for anyone to wipe out the Congress party from Pernem or the country.
“The Congress is not merely a party of a few individuals; it is backed by a significant ideology, history, and the strength of its grassroots workers. The party will not cease to exist simply because some individuals have left. In the past, too, many leaders have left the Congress to join other parties, yet the party’s ideology and its work have endured,” said Gaonkar. Taking a dig at Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar, Gaonkar said the incumbent MLA should focus on securing his own political seat for the 2027 assembly elections before talking about making Pernem 'Congress-mukt' (Congress-free).
Gaonkar alleged that the BJP is attempting to induct Congress office-bearers and leaders into its fold because it cannot tolerate the ongoing work of the Congress in Pernem taluka and the party's rising voice in the State. He clarified that although Krishna Naik has left the Congress to join the BJP, his departure will not impact the party's organisation. “Congress activities in the Pernem block will continue, and party workers will strive to further strengthen the organisation. He (Krishna Naik) wasn't loyal to Congress; how loyal will he be to the BJP,” asked Gaonkar.
Local Congress leaders were also present at the news conference.
