NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Stating that the recent entry of the two Congressmen namely Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte into the Bharatiya Janata Party is a part of its ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ (Congress-less India) strategy, the state BJP unit on Wednesday maintained that Shirodkar and Sopte joined the BJP unconditionally and out of their own will, and not even a paisa was exchanged for their induction.
Coming out with this information, state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar said that the party is free to take decision on issues such as whether to induct Shirodkar and Sopte into the state cabinet or not, and if the two should be allowed to contest by-election in Shiroda and Mandrem constituencies, respectively. He also said that the BJP workers would not create any problem to work for the candidates selected by the party to contest in these two constituencies.
Speaking further, Tendulkar stated that the entry of two Congressmen into BJP has further strengthened the party in Shiroda and Mandrem constituencies. “Looking at the response we are receiving from our workers in Shiroda and Mandrem constituencies, we are confident that the candidates fielded by the BJP in these two constituencies would be victorious, whenever the bypolls are held,” he added, pointing out that if more Congressmen desire to join the BJP then they cannot be stopped as the BJP needs to be strengthened further.
The state BJP chief said that as per the information provided by Shirodkar and Sopte, three more Congressmen are waiting to break away from the party. “I don’t know whether these three Congressmen will join the BJP, the Goa Forward Party or the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party,” he said, arguing that perhaps this is the reason why a puppet leader like Chandrakant Kavlekar has been made the leader of the opposition, instead of senior leaders like Ravi Naik, Luizinho Faleiro and Digambar Kamat.
Tendulkar also stated that the leadership issue does not exist and it is the making of the media, as all MLAs supporting the government are firm on the leadership of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. “We are not looking at any alternative to Parrikar and the name of Vishwajit Rane for the post of chief minister is only flashed by the newspapers,” he added, stating that the Chief Minister is recovering fast and is expected to regain the speed with which he was working.
The state BJP president also said that the Chief Minister has recently spoken to his administrative colleagues, besides
Minister for Town and Country Planning Vijai Sardesai and Minister for Public Works Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar, who are meeting national BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday. “Parrikar also met Shirodkar and Sopte Wednesday evening, who went to seek his blessing after joining the BJP,” he revealed.