Last week, the otherwise mild-mannered five-term Lok Sabha MP & Union Minister Shripad Naik uncharacteristically blew up, voicing anger over "repeatedly" being ignored and uninvited at official functions to inaugurate projects in his Panaji (North Goa) parliamentary constituency. It was a day after Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte inaugurated the refurbished Dona Paula jetty, incidentally on his (Khaunte's) birthday.
Naik was particularly peeved that he was uninvited when he as minister of state for tourism was instrumental in clearing the central funds for the jetty, although it was executed through the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC). With him going public with his angst, Khaunte publicly apologised for the 'error' and the matter should have ended there. But then it is politics, and this unusual snub to a leader of the stature of Naik, expectedly triggered discussion in political and media circles, particularly because of the tenor of his reaction.
“The CM should look into this and check if it is being done deliberately or not. And he must also make sure that these things don’t repeat. If the Centre is helping and providing funds, how is it that the minister is not invited? Under which rule does it fit?” was Naik's strongly worded reaction.
Coming as it does at a time when the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are just a little over a year away, it has led to speculation: Are there forces within the BJP baiting Naik? Are there second thoughts within the party over renominating him? Are there other contenders for this bastion (North Goa) of the saffron party?
Tall leader but...
Shripad Naik is unarguably a tall leader of the BJP in Goa. He and the late Manohar Parrikar mirrored the Vajpayee-Advani-defined national political growth graph of the BJP here in Goa. It would therefore be an uphill task for his detractors if any within the party to edge him out.
Unbeaten in five consecutive Lok Sabha elections since 1999, he however sounded confident of finding favour with the party's Central leadership for a renomination. Yet, as he himself admitted in an interview, the final call is with the party's Parliamentary Board and preferred to call himself a "front-runner" for the ticket.
But despite his stature, Naik's record in terms of wielding influence in party decision-making has not been noteworthy in recent years and has also often missed the boat himself at crucial junctures in achieving political goals, including grabbing the leadership after the death of Manohar Parrikar.
More recently, in the run-up to the February 2022 assembly elections, his publicly aired claim over the Cumbarjua assembly ticket for his son Siddesh Naik, was spurned by the party.
Tanavade, Parrikar Jr potential competitors?
On the face of it, Naik may not have any competition for the North Goa ticket for now. Yet, there have been some signals emanating from recent developments which several political observers, both inside and outside the party, saying that it will be foolhardy for his camp to take it for granted.
Indications are that neither he nor his inner circle has. His outbursts over him being 'ignored' by the State government defying protocol, more than indicate that Naik has sensed there is something amiss. And, one of the names that have cropped up in this context is that of the BJP State president Sadanand Shet Tanavade.
For the record, Tanavade, expectedly stopped short of both admitting he is in the fray or denying it outright while calling them just "rumours" for now. What has fuelled the rumours, however, is Tanavade's more than usual presence and visibility at almost every public event with a quotient of potential to grab political mileage.
According to a top BJP leader, who did not want to be identified, what could have fuelled the thought that the party is thinking of an alternative to Naik for the North Goa seat is the possibility of voter fatigue given that he has represented the constituency since 1999.
It's not just Tanavade who is being spoken of. Another politician who could end up in the ring is the late Parrikar's son Utpal, whose possible home-coming into the saffron party along with that of former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, was speculated widely in the media recently.
Parrikar Jr had rebelled against the party and contested unsuccessfully as an Independent from Panaji, as had Parsekar in Mandrem. The duo have not joined any other political outfit and have both not denied the reports further fuelling the speculation of their homecoming.
Parrikar Jr in particular, was at pains to explain that he has had no "ideological divorce" from the BJP and has indicated that he is still aligned in thought process, with the party.
"Whether I stay inside the party or work from outside will be known in future. How I will contribute in 2024 also will be known in future," he has been quoted as saying by a prominent national media house.
Party preparations on
Despite being in a position of strength, the BJP, true to its traditions, is taking nothing lightly. With more than a year to go, it has already begun gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and two weeks ago, like in the rest of the country, commenced an exercise to invigorate its foot soldiers. It held a training workshop for grassroots workers to strengthen its booth-level setups styled 'Booth Sashaktikaran Abhiyan'.
The party's former Mandrem MLA, Dayanand Sopte has been appointed as the State convenor and during the abhiyan, he and other top leaders will review all its existing booth committees. Also in places where they do not exist and in the eight assembly constituencies where ex-Congress MLAs joined the party last year, these booth committees will be set up.
The workshop which was chaired by BJP State president Sadanand Tanavade was also attended by its national joint general secretary (organisation), Shivprakash, who incidentally is the national convenor of the 'Booth Sashaktikaran Abhiyan'.
The elections may be just a year away and being a five-term, MP Shripad Naik undoubtedly is the front-runner. However, taking a renomination for granted is foolhardy at this juncture, especially at a time when the appetite of the leadership led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, to effect a generational shift in the saffron party is well documented.
