BBSM launches party, targets majority seats of BJP, only 2 MGP
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 02 October 2016 14:21 IST
Uday Bhembre launching Goa Suraksha Manch
The party has also announced 18 constituencies, 9 from each district, while admitting having no hold in 5 Assembly segments Quepem, Curtorim, Benaulim, Nuvem and Velim.
The GSM was launched today morning, amidst playing of Dholl-Tashe, in a hall of Hotel Delmon packed with around 500 supporters.
RSS volunteer Anand Shirodkar from Chimbel is the party president.
The political outfit, primarily opposing government grants to Church-run English medium primary schools, will work to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the next Assembly election.
STILL WAITING FOR MGP
BBSM leader Uday Bhembre has said they would still wait for the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party to break away from the BJP and join hands with them.
If the MGP does not break away from the BJP before the election notification is issued, we will field candidates also against them, said Bhembre.
Earlier, the BBSM had served a deadline of 30th September to the MGP to break ties with their senior alliance partner.
But MGP has not given any indication in this regard while postponing the decision on seat sharing with the BJP till election is officially announced, probably till December.
14 BJP SEATS TARGETTED
The GSM announced total 18 seats, out of which 14 are today represented by the BJP.
Barring two seats represented by independent MLAs - Rohan Khauntes Porvorim and Naresh Sawals Bicholim, the rest 7 from North Goa are BJP seats.
These include CM Laxmikant Parsekars Mandrem, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikars Panaji presently represented by Siddharth Kuncalienker, Rajendra Arlekars Pedne, Deputy CM Francisco DSouzas Mapusa, minister Dayanand Mandrekars Siolim, deputy speaker Anant Shets Mayem and Dr Pramod Sawants Sankhli.
In South Goa, two seats GSM plans to contest are represented by the MGP minister Dipak Dhawalikars Priol and Lavoo Mamledars Ponda.
Interestingly, MGP supremo Sudin Dhawalikars Madkai does not figure in the list.
The rest 7 seats having BJP MLAs are: ministers Alina Saldanhas Cortalim, Mahadev Naiks Shiroda and Ramesh Tawadkars Canacona as well as four represented by BJP MLAs: Subhash Phaldesais Sanguem, Nilesh Cabrals Curchorem, Ganesh Gaonkars Sanvordem and Carlos Almeidas Vasco.
The GSM has said they have strong cadre base in total 35 constituencies.
PARTY OF RSS
Neither RSS leader Subhash Velingkar nor any veteran leaders of Konkani movement in the BBSM are the office bearers of the GSM.
Almost all office bearers are cadres of the Sangh Parivar.
Following are the party office bearers as well as of the Mahila and Youth wings:
GSM State Committee:
Vice Presidents: Adv Swati Kerkar (Sankhli) & Kiran Naik (Margao).
General Secretary: Adv Hridaynath Shirodkar (Ponda).
Secretary: Vinay Naik (Sanguem).
Joint Secretary: Nitin Phaldesai (Vasco).
Treasurer: Mahesh Mhambre (Panaji).
Joint Treasurer: Vasudev Khaunte (Margao).
North District Committee:
President: Nandan Sawant (Mapusa).
Vice President: Damodar Naik (Sankhli).
General Secretary: Atmaram Gaonkar (Bicholim).
South District Committee:
President: Dr Prakash Kurade (Cuncolim).
Sanjay Raut Desai (Curchorem).
General Secretary: Adv Tushar Parab (Vasco).
Womens Wing:
State In-charge: Dr Mansi Prabhudesai (Cuncolim).
North In-charge: Shubhangi Vaingankar (Mapusa).
South In-charge: Adv Sarvangi Chari (Cortalim).
Youth Wing:
State In-charge: Vallabh Kelkar (Mapusa).
North In-charge: Pranav Banavalkar (Mapusa).
South In-charge: Omkar Desai (Curchorem).
Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) will earn many praises for accepting the reality and to contest selective 18 seats in Goa.
All the names figure in below list of office bearer of the party are grass root workers of the locality This will give sleepless nights for BJP for next 5 months.
People like Uday Bhembre, Pundalik Naik are highly opportunistic. They actually give a damn about Marathi, but are only these marathiwallas as a means to their end. This whole thing is going to come crashing down at the elections and whatever little credibility this movement lead by a 'group of conflicting interest' had will be washed away in river Mandovi. I'm not a BJP or congress wallah or whatever, but I don't need to a political pundit to predict it.