PANAJI
Union Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar, considered the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) political pointsman in its weak South India region, held a power-packed meeting with all ministers and MLAs of the party, including those of allies MGP and the independents in a bid to enthuse them to get into the election mode ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Chandrashekar held a two-hour long meeting with the Goa ministers and legislators where he later said he discussed infrastructure investments in Goa as well as the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“I am sure Goa will give a clean mandate for the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Confident that all voters from Goa will vote for the BJP,” Chandrashekhar said at a press conference later, flanked by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union Minister Shripad Naik, Rajya Sabha MP and BJP State president, Sadanand Tanavade and ally MGP’s leader and Power Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar.
All the BJP Ministers and MLAs besides those of ally MGP and the independents, barring Aleixo Reginald Lourenco who is out of station, attended the interaction with Chandrashekar.
To a query, Chandrashekar said, the party will select its candidates for the two seats in Goa with its process via the Parliamentary Committee once the election dates are announced.
“We spoke of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in 2024 and how the last ten years of transformation of India, the transformation of Goa must continue. We must work hard to ensure that the people of Goa continue to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he has worked hard to transform India over the last ten years and continues to take India forward and make it a developed nation,” he said.
“This election will be a contest between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last ten years of taking India from the fragile five economies to the top five economies of the world,” Chandrashekar said.
Sawant, meanwhile, said that Chandrashekar will be co-ordinating with the State government all the Central projects in Goa besides a new proposal which will be sent to make Goa the first 100% digitalised State of the country.
On the party’s prospects at next year’s Lok Sabha elections, Sawant said he was confident that with 33 MLAs (28 of the BJP, two of the MGP and the three independents) on their side it will be a clean sweep.
BJP open to support from regional parties: CM
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is open to support from regional parties in Goa for the Parliamentary elections.
He was responding to questions at the press conference held after Union Minister for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrashekar interacted with ministers, MLAs and party functionaries over preparations for the Lok Sabha polls.
“The elections are approximately 160 days away. We want to win the elections. If any regional party wants to support us here in Goa we will welcome it,” Sawant said, in response to a query if there were talks with regional parties on these lines.
As of now, the ruling BJP has 28 MLAs and is supported by the two-strong MGP and the three Independents -- Aleixo Reginald Lourenco (Curtorim), Dr Chandrakant Shetye (Bicholim) and Anton Vas (Cortalim).
The Opposition comprises of the two national parties -- Congress (three MLAs) and AAP (two MLAs) -- besides one MLA each of the two regional parties Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) and Goa Forward Party.
