NT NETWORK

PANAJI

The two Congressmen Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, justified their decision to desert the Congress party by stating that they were compelled to do so in the interest of their respective constituencies and developments in them.

The two new entrants to the BJP were addressing a press conference in the presence of state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar and Power Minister Nilesh Cabral at the city headquarters of the party.

Speaking on the occasion, Shirodkar said that since the formation of the BJP government in the state in March 2017, he observed that there was no unity among the Congress legislature party. “I also found that my constituency, which was not developed during the tenures of its past legislator, Mahadev Naik, continued to suffer even during my present tenure,” he added, stating that now he is certain about its progress and development.

Speaking further, Shirodkar informed, “The orchard land, which I had bought in 2003, was put under government acquisition by former Shiroda MLA and then industries minister, Mahadev Naik, so that I could earn no money on it.”

“However, when I met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, he, under acquisition, agreed to pay me Rs 70 crore towards this 1.84 lakh sq mt land, which was my rightful share, and the process was carried out as per the law,” he added, pointing out that 80 per cent of this money, which he will receive in seven instalments, in a period of seven years, would be spent on education given in the engineering and alternative medicine colleges run by him.

Sopte, on the other hand said that in spite of being in the opposition during the past one-and-a-half year, going out of the way, the Chief Minister helped his constituency. “Parrikar provided 103 jobs, primarily of security guards and in the Kadamba Transport Corporation, to my voters,” he stated, adding that developmental works worth Rs 32 crore were also sanctioned and started in his Mandrem constituency.

Sopte, who had deserted the BJP in the past, also said that re-joining the party is like homecoming to him.

The state BJP president, speaking on the annoyance of former BJP MLA from Mandrem constituency Laxmikant Parsekar as regards the induction of Sopte into the party, said that he did speak to Parsekar on the issue and Parsekar is fully satisfied on what he was told.

Tendulkar also said that both, Shirodkar and Sopte wanted to work under Parrikar, which is why they were admitted to the BJP.