MGP cautioned not to take BJP for granted
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 17 September 2016 20:31 IST
The Bharatiya Janata Party has indirectly cautioned its alliance partner, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, not to take them for granted.
“We are prepared to contest all the 40 seats, if need be. But we will stick to our coalition dharma”, said defence minister Manohar Parrikar, while addressing state executive members today evening.
He also appealed to the cadres, around 650 gathered in Panaji, to go aggressive and organise the booths for the coming Assembly election.
The issue of coalition has come to the fore with the RSS-led Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch offering MGP to snap ties with the senior coalition partner and join hands with them to defeat the BJP.
While the BBSM has served a deadline of 30th September, the MGP is expected to decide in this regard by first week of October.
In view of these developments, the MGP leaders have been speaking diverse languages.
While party leader and PWD minister Sudin Dhawalikar sings the coalition tune, his ministerial brother Dipak and MLA Lavoo Mamledar feel that MGP should go alone.
In this background, Parrikar’s statement today sounded like a warning to the MGP.
“As an alliance, I am confident we can win 26 seats”, said Parrikar.
In 2012, the coalition won 24 seats, with the MGP getting only 3 out of 9 seats they fought.
This time, the MGP is presently demanding 14 seats while not ruling out the possibility of increasing the demand to 20.
If the MGP does not break the alliance, RSS leader Subhash Velingkar has said the BBSM would form its own party and contest 37 seats.
“We are not afraid of new political formations. We are confident that people of Goa would honour our work and get us elected to power once again”, said Parrikar.
