BJP optimistic about MGP supporting its candidates

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

Hoping against hope, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party is expecting the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, its alliance partner in the government, to support the BJP candidates at the forthcoming Mandrem and Shiroda by-elections.

The state BJP leaders would also be meeting party’s national president, Amit Shah, later this week to chalk out a strategy for the by-elections.

Incidentally, the MGP has already clarified that it will contest the bypoll in both the constituencies not for challenging the BJP, but to “teach a lesson” to defectors namely Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar, the two Congressmen who recently joined the BJP and are favourites to receive the candidature of the party.

State BJP president Vinay Tendulkar, speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’ said that he wants to interact with MGP president Pandurang ‘Deepak’ Dhavalikar on the issue and has been trying to get his appointment. “Although the MGP has expressed its intention to contest the bypolls, many things can take place until the day of withdrawal of nomination papers by the candidates,” he maintained, observing that “all things are possible.”

Speaking further, Tendulkar said that efforts of his party are on to proceed in a harmonious atmosphere with its alliance partners and run the government cordially.

Replying to a question as regards resignation of

Subhash Shirodkar as the chairman of Economic Development Corporation, Tendulkar said that the MGP president is fully concentrating on his Shiroda bypoll campaign and, therefore, Shirodkar wants to camp in the constituency 24×7, with no time for any other activity. “Shirodkar wants to focus on this constituency and that is what made him resign as the EDC chairman, and nothing else,” he said.