MARGAO
The Margao unit of the BJP finds itself in a tight spot as the party’s probable candidate for the Margao seat Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar has tested positive and has been hospitalized.
With hardly any time left for the February 14 election coupled with the fact that Ajgaonkar is down with Covid, which may rule him out of public interaction for at least the next 10-12 days, the party has sent an SOS to the state leadership on how to go about the situation vis-Ã -vis the candidate.
Sources pointed out that the Margao unit of the city is meeting in a day or two to take stock of the situation, with the party leadership still not zeroing in on the final candidate for Margao to take on the seven-time Congress MLA and Opposition leader Digambar Kamat.
The party leadership had earlier settled for the candidature of city-based real estate developer, Dr Desh Prabhudesai, however, Prabhudesai preferred to back out in view of the intense factionalism in the city unit, more so after party leader, Bhai Naik, went to the town stating that he and his 100 supporters have extended their support to Congress MLA Digambar Kamat.
Even as the party leadership was looking for a replacement for Prabhudesai, the name of Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar started doing the rounds in party circles and outside after the party leadership opted for a new face in Pernem in the coming polls.
Incidentally, Ajgaonkar had accepted the challenge to take on the Opposition leader in Margao, but on a condition the party Margao unit should back him by getting the 7000-8000 party votes in the constituency. In fact, the Deputy Chief Minister, who is not new to Margao, had told Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state president Sadanand Tanavade that he is ready to accept the Margao challenge provided the party backs him to the hilt by retaining the party base.
“We have no idea how the party will go about the candidate for Margao. There’s little time left for the election. The State leadership will take a call”, informed BJP Mandal president Rupesh Mahatme, who had an interaction with city leaders, including Sunil Naik on Tuesday.
