Will convince coalition partners not to contest bypolls: Tendulkar

the goan I network
PANAJI  
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said it will convince its coalition partners - Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party - to refrain from contesting the by-elections to the seats left vacant by the resignations of its new entrants - Subhash Shirodkar (Shiroda) and Dayanand Sopte (Mandrem).  
Both Shirodkar and Sopte had a week ago quit the Congress to join the BJP.  
BJP’s state unit president, Vinay Tendulkar told the media after a State executive meeting in Panaji, that both the coalition partners will be talked into refraining from contesting the Shiroda and Mandrem by-elections when they are held.  
Both MGP leader Sudin Dhavlikar and GFP’s Vijai Sardesai have in the last couple of days publicly hinted that the BJP cannot take for granted that they will not contest the two by-elections when they are announced.  
Tendulkar, who is under attack and engaged in a war-of-words with senior party leaders including former CM Laximikant Parsekar and Rajendra Arlekar for encouraging the aya-ram-gaya-ram style of politics in the BJP, said the State executive meeting on Wednesday came to the conclusion that the coalition partners should be kept out of the bye-poll ring.  
A top BJP source also said that the State Executive’s proceedings were dominated by deliberations on how to tackle the simmering turbulence within the party where senior leaders and a large section of its cadre have begun to publicly voice their displeasure over the recent political developments and the party’s official response.