PANAJI
Demoted in the contest for a ticket to the Cumbarjua assembly seat, son of Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik, Siddesh Naik was 'promoted' as a State BJP secretary, State BJP president Sadanand Tanavade announced on Friday.
As a secretary, Siddesh has been assigned to work for the Vasco assembly constituency, far, far away from his home constituency of Cumbarjua, where Janita, the wife of his arch inter-party rival Pandurang Madkaikar, has been fielded by the BJP.
While refusing to compare Siddesh’s decision with the one taken by Utpal Parrikar (to contest as an independent), Tanavade also said that by standing with the party in face of a ticket refusal, Siddesh had passed the "biggest test" of being a true BJP worker.
"Siddesh Naik has now been appointed as a BJP secretary... Siddesh had every right to ask for a ticket. But after the party has taken a decision, he has backed it... It takes guts to back a party decision," Tanavade told a press conference in the presence of Siddesh Naik and his workers.
"There are so many party workers who have not contested any election, but they are still with the party. The biggest test for a party worker is to stand with the party, despite things not going his or her way. Siddesh has passed that test," Tanavade also said.
Siddesh, who was also denied a ticket by the party in 2017 in favour of Pandurang Madkaikar, had threatened to contest as an Independent candidate earlier this week, hours after the party allotted the Cumbarjua ticket to Janita.
Tanavade also said that personally speaking, he too was in favour of Siddesh getting a party ticket, but added that his office only had recommendatory powers and that the final decision was taken by the central leadership.
"If someone asks me personally, I would say my first priority is that Siddesh should get a ticket. Definitely, as of today, it is my opinion. But my opinion cannot become the final say. I am not the authority. I and the state election committee can only recommend it. The decision is taken by the central leaders. They factor in pan-India strategies and take such decisions based on them," Tanavade said.
"Siddhesh Naik wanted to contest the assembly polls from Cumbarjua because he is the local ZP member and he had won with a big margin. Siddesh has been a BJP worker from the beginning. Siddhesh has never risen up in the party as Shripad Naik's son. He has worked in the student union, BJP, ABVP. He has held several BJP posts," Tanavade also said.
The State BJP president also said that the party had managed to quell several rebellions citing the examples of St Cruz candidates Anil Hoble and Girsh Uskaikar, who have been relegated to the sidelines, after the BJP ticket was allotted to Antonio Fernandes.
When asked if he was trying to compare Siddesh's decision to stand by the party, with that of Parrikar's son Utpal, who has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate, Tanavade said: "Do not compare Siddesh with Utpal. Utpal Parrikar is Manohar Bhai's son. We respect him. If you ask anyone in Goa, they will say that Siddesh has worked in all positions in the party".
Tanavade also said that it was Manohar Parrikar, who spoke and convinced Siddesh after the latter was denied a ticket to contest in Cumbarjua in 2017.
