MARGAO
Will Hindu hardliner Yogi Adityanath’s rise as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister come as a dampener to the week-long BJP-led Manohar Parrikar dispensation, the alliance partners in particular, already battling a wave of resentment for cobbling up numbers to form a government without a popular mandate?
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar air dashed to Lucknow for the swearing-in ceremony of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, but back home the appointment of the radical Hindu leader, known for his polarizing stance against the minorities, is expected to give an additional armament to the opposition to corner the government, especially the supporting partners elected on the secular plank.
The political development in UP, it is believed in local political circles, may also come to haunt the BJP government and its alliance partners a la post-2012 Assembly election, when issues such as Ghar Vapasi, beef ban, attacks on Churches in Delhi and other cities had literally suffocated then alliance partners, including the Independent MLA from the minority community, supporting the then Parrikar-led government.
When The Goan called up Chief Minister to shed light on Yogi’s rise in Uttar Pradesh and its fall out for his government in Goa, Parrikar sought to know why Goans should fear the election of Yogi as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, before reassuring the people that Goa is different from Uttar Pradesh and his government will serve the people and uphold Goemkarponn. “Let us see how Yogi performs. He is a priest, but is also an intelligent man,” Parrikar told The Goan.
Saying that his government’s agenda is for Goemkar and Goemkarponn, the Chief Minister said his government will protect the interests of everyone on the principle of Goemkarponn.
Goa Forward Party mentor and Minister in the Parrikar-led government, Vijai Sardesai echoed similar sentiments, saying that politics in UP and Goa is different, while reminding that the Goa Forward Party had given a conditional letter of support only to Manohar Parrikar and not to the BJP. “We insisted on Manohar Parrikar because we believe that he is not communal. We, members in the Cabinet, will ensure that no one pulls the communal trigger in a peaceful state like Goa. People have a different perception of the BJP in Goa as evident by the election of seven Catholic MLAs on the BJP banner,” he said.
He said the new government has been formed to focus on the uniqueness of Goa so that its secular and liberal ideals and culture stand out, while adding “we are also concerned in Goa that a Hindu hardliner has been elected as the new Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh”.
Admitting that Yogi’s rise as UP Chief Minister may give an armament for the opposition against the alliance partners, Vijai, however, asserted that support to the BJP is on the issue of development, besides the commitment to protect the age old communal harmony and amity in the state.
Says political commentator, Adv Cleofato Coutinho: “It is a clear fact that Yogi, who is considered a hardliner and a polarizing leader, has been chosen in UP by the BJP with an eye on the next Lok Sabha election. Certainly, the alliance partners of the Parrikar-led government, including the Goa Forward Party, may feel the heat against the backdrop of the political development in Uttar Pradesh, more so when there’s resentment brewing against the decision to support the Parrikar government in the state”.
He admitted that Yogi’s rise may come to haunt the BJP’s alliance partners in the same way issues such as Ghar Vapasi, beef ban et al had suffocated the Independents supporting the Parrikar government post 2012 Assembly election.
