PORVORIM
Claiming that panch members of Socorro and Salvador do Mundo panchayats who have joined the BJP want to damage his image, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte said he is fully confident of winning the next assembly election.
He also categorically ruled out any possibility of joining the BJP if the party ticket was offered to him.
Addressing a news conference in Porvorim, Khaunte said five panch members of Salvador do Mundo panchayat who joined the BJP on Friday won on his panel in 2017.
“People had elected them as they had faith in me and people will teach them a lesson in the forthcoming panchayat elections,” said Khaunte.
“Three years ago, six panchayat members of Socorro had joined the BJP on grounds they wanted to take up development of the village. During the last three years, there has been no development in Socorro and neither have I been allowed to undertake development activities by the panchayat members.”
“The panch members of Socorro and Salvador do Mundo panchayat who have joined the BJP want to damage my image. But I am fully confident of winning the next assembly election as people of the Porvorim constituency are fully aware of the development I have carried out in the last 10 years,” said Khaunte.
“The very fact that the ZP candidate in Penha de Franca constituency supported by me was recently elected by a large margin indicates that people have faith in me.”
To a query, Khaunte said he would not join the BJP even if the party ticket was offered to him to contest from the Porvorim constituency. He, however, admitted having initially supported the BJP because of former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar.
“I challenge Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to make public his balance sheet and IT returns of the last five years and I will produce my balance sheet," said Khaunte.
