PERNEM
Brushing aside rumours that Mandrem MLA-elect Dayanand Sopte would resign from the Congress party, the Congress legislator said he will not betray his voters by joining the BJP.
It may be recalled that there were rumours that Sopte would join the BJP after he defeated former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
“Goans have rejected the BJP as it failed to undertake development in the State and gave an opportunity to the Congress party. But BJP murdered democracy and showed that they cannot keep away from power,” Sopte told The Goan.
“People in Mandrem constituency should not fall prey to rumours against me. I will not betray my voters by joining the BJP,” Sopte said.
According to sources, Sopte reportedly made efforts to join the BJP five years ago, but former chief minister Parsekar was elected as MLA in the 2012 assembly elections. BJP youth leader Deepak Kalangutkar, who is a close aide of Parrikar and Parsekar, had opposed his entry into the BJP.
When contacted, Deepak Kalangutkar congratulated Manohar Parrikar for being elected as the chief minister. “It’s true that BJP didn’t get majority, but what wrong has BJP done by including independent MLAs and MLAs from other parties to form the government?” asked Kalangutkar.
“If central leaders want to induct Sopte in the BJP, Parsekar should be taken into confidence. We have agreed to all the decisions
taken up by the central leaders, but they should take the decision by taking all the party workers into confidence,” said Kalangutkar.
Meanwhile, Parsekar said his team completed all the works but the voters rejected him. “I will find out the reasons for my defeat
and the BJP unit in Mandrem will be made stronger,”
he added.
