OLD GOA
St Andre’s BJP leader Ramrao Wagh hit out at the BJP for side-lining diehard supporters of the party which has forced leaders like him to leave the party.
Wagh was speaking during his induction in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at a function at Tinto, Mandur on Monday.
“I lost the election last time around but worked towards building the BJP party in St Andre. However, the scene changed with the Congress MLAs joining BJP. And the St Andre BJP block was the most ferocious in opposing the move,” Wagh informed and stated that the diehard workers of BJP were side-lined.
“Today I have left the BJP as it is not the same BJP anymore. Even, MLA Alina Saldanha was mentally tortured as an imported Congress MLA was calling the shots. Today, how many original BJP MLAs are in the party? Most of them are imported. This is the reality of the current BJP,” he said while outlining his reason for leaving BJP and joining AAP.
“AAP is the party of the future, which is working silently over a period of time. I have not asked for ticket but if AAP gives me ticket then I will contest. I will take my vision forward for St Andre with the help of AAP particularly in the education sector,” Wagh informed.
“I will work to ensure the victory of AAP not only in St Andre but all five constituencies of Tiswadi,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, AAP leader Aatishi expressed happiness over the joining of Ramrao Wagh.
“I am happy that we are inducting an intellectual person like Ramrao Wagh in our party,” Aatishi stated while lavishing praises on the Wagh brothers for working for the welfare of the Bhandari Samaj.
“Wagh brothers, particularly late Vishnu Wagh, have been the voices of St Andre people and the bhandari samaj,” she stated.
“In 2012, Vishnu Wagh campaigned for the BJP to garner Bhandari Samaj votes. But the members of the Samaj are asking what the BJP has done for them. And the answer is nothing,” Aatishi opined.
“The BJP has done nothing for the Bhandaris be it on the education or employment front,” she stated and outlined that it is for this reason that a tall leader like Wagh has left BJP and joined AAP.
Delhi MLA Kuldip Kumar, AAP leaders Valmiki Naik, Sural Tilve, Cecille Rodrigues, Amit Palekar, Rajdeep Naik, Goraknath Kerkar, Shubam Shirvoikar, Namdev Mashelkar and others were present.
