PANAJI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Parliamentary Board on Monday named Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister of State for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry L Murugan as observers to oversee the election of legislature party leader even as the party's State president Sadanand Tanavade said the process will be carried out after Holi.
Tomar and Murugan are expected to arrive in Goa on Wednesday, Tanavade said, adding that the party's Central leadership has decided that installation of the new governments will be done simultaneously in all the four States where the party won the elections.
Apart from Goa, the BJP has also won in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur among the five States that went to the polls. The fifth State, Punjab, was won by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Tanavade said, a legislature party leader will be formally elected at a combined legislature party meeting after the Central observers hold consultations with the MLAs and local party leaders.
The elected legislature party leader will then stake claim to form the government before the Governor, he added.
Although the BJP won 20 seats and has garnered the support of the two MGP MLAs-elect besides the three Independents, the delay in electing a leader more than four days after results were declared has triggered some speculation over internal differences and personality clashes within the party.
Caretaker Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who led the party in the election, is seemingly in the driver's seat to clinch the coveted post as the saffron party had fought the elections with him as the chief ministerial face.
He also has good governance to his credit and has led the party to an impressive victory.
BJP’s Goa desk in-charge C T Ravi, however, is reported to have said, “the final decision will be taken by the parliamentary board. We are in no hurry. We have won handsomely and we will provide a stable and good government for the next five years”.
The unscheduled visit paid to the governor by Vishwajit Rane on Saturday did cause a bit of a flutter but the Sattari strongman himself explained it as a mere 'courtesy visit'.
Meanwhile, Tanavade indicated that there was stiff resistance to the party accepting support from the Sudin Dhavalikar-led Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) which has a strength of two.
Tanavade said opposition to the MGP is from both the legislators as well as block level workers but added that the final decision lies in the domain of the Central leadership.
"There is objection from all sides. Many MLAs and party workers have called me and told me that BJP does not need MGP,” Tanavade said.
