CANACONA
Furious with the BJP for having denied the party ticket to Sports Minister and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar from Canacona constituency, the entire Canacona BJP block, mahila mandal and youth wing resigned from the party on Saturday.
In a further blow to the BJP, all 56 booth presidents “ each with 11 committees members “ also resigned en masse to express their solidarity with Tawadkar, who was snubbed by the party leadership.
Even before the BJP could make an official announcement on the party ticket, a huge number of BJP supporters converged at the residence of Canacona MLA and Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar on Saturday evening.
While Canacona BJP Block General Secretary Vishal Desai and Vice President Sanjay Komarpant faxed in their resignations to the party, the block president Mahesh Naik, a close aide of Tawadkar, was presently unwell and could not take a decision on his resignation.
Canacona Block treasurer Mahesh Warik and 36 office bearers of the Canacona block also signed their resignation letters by assembling outside Tawadkar's office.
Expressing their solidarity with Tawadkar, 26 mahila mandal members along with Mandal Adhyaksha Vinda Satarkar also signed their resignation letters. Others following in the same manner included 30 BJP Yuva Yuva Sangh members, including their president Pankaj Naik Gaonkar and Secretary Sanju Pagi.
“The BJP does not need karyakartas in Canacona. If the party wanted to deliver its draconian verdict, where was the need to have so many one-to-one interactions with party workers and then with Tawadkar? We are fully working for the success of Tawadkar,” stated Komarpant, while speaking to mediapersons outside Tawadkar's residence.
Added Warik: “The party has put us in great jeopardy. On the one hand, we need the organisation, but how can we go against Tawadkar who himself kept BJP's flag flying high for several years? We have no other option but to go with Tawadkar.”
***
Khot's supporters stage 'jubiliant' rally
THE GOAN NETWORK
CANACONA: A jubilant former MLA Vijay Poi Khot along with his supporters staged a rally in Canacona on Saturday, after Khot returned from the BJP headquarters in Panaji with a letter confirming that he had been allotted the party ticket to contest the Canacona assembly seat.
Reports that Poi Khot had been called to the BJP head office in Panaji caused jubilation among his supporters and they were eagerly waiting to receive their leader with the letter confirming the BJP ticket.
On learning about his arrival to Canacona, hundreds of his supporters received him at Gulem at about 3 pm and forced Khot to stage a rally in Canacona. The rally proceed first to Agonda, before moving across the municipal area and then assembling at Khot's residence.
Canacona Municipal Council Chairperson Prathana Naik Gaunkar, Dy Chairperson Samita Dhuri, Councillors Chaya Komarpant, Divakar Pagui and Shamsundar Desai, were also present at the rally.
