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Goa Elections 2017: Leadership battle bubbles in BJP

But the race that is hotting up is the one for the biggest job in the smallest state in the country — that of the chief minister

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BJP President Amit Shah addressing a BJP election meet in Vasco town, Goa on Monday
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Less than 10 days ahead of polling in the balmy state of Goa, there is little sign of the looming electoral battle in the streets. But the race that is hotting up is the one for the biggest job in the smallest state in the country — that of the chief minister.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) brass sent a message that current Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar could well be at the helm of affairs in Goa after the elections, his ministerial colleague Sripad Naik sought to hedge the issue, only saying “No decision has been taken.... The MLAs will decide.”

Naik, a Union minister of state with independent charge of AYUSH, also refrained from ruling himself out as a possible candidate for the post. “We are disciplined soldiers of the party. We will work in whatever role party decides. There is no demand, no maang,” he told DNA.

While Naik claimed he was not in the race for the CM’s post, he hinted that he may not be averse to the idea if the party decided on such a course of action. In any case, he said, it was a question to be dealt with after elections.

BJP President Amit Shah’s statement, leaving open the question of Parrikar’s return to the state as chief minister, could ruffle some feathers at the local level. Parrikar, too, has not ruled himself out, also saying the matter will be decided after elections.

Naik, though, claimed that Shah had not said it in as many words. Asked if the issue was opening up a dual power centre, with chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar having to work under Parrikar, Naik said: “It only means that because of his (Parrikar’s) experience, his help will be taken. It’s not under, why should it be?”

Naik, an MP from Goa North, also backed Parsekar, who was given the top job after Parrikar moved to Delhi. “There was no crisis. You wouldn’t have heard that Parsekar was wanting,” he said.

He insisted there was no “push or pull” in the party over the leadership issue. Incidentally, Naik belongs to the dominant Bhandari caste, which constitutes 35 per cent of the vote bank, while Parrikar is a Gaud Saraswat Brahmin, a community comprising just 1.5 per cent of Goa’s population.

While exuding confidence about a BJP win, Naik admitted that RSS leader Subhash Velingkar’s Goa Suraksha Manch would likely eat into some of the party’s share in a couple of seats. “But, they will not get seats, majority of RSS is with us,” he insisted.

Sripad Naik said the state government had given grants to 130 Christian-run primary English medium schools, keeping a promise that the Congress had made. This, Naik claimed, had upset Velingkar, who then parted ways with the BJP. The state government would have found it difficult to withdraw the proposal as it would have upset the Christians, who form 25 per cent of the population. The BJP has given tickets to nine Christians, one more than in 2012.

Asked about the multi-cornered contests and alliance, of which BJP’s former ally MGP was also a part, he said such a scenario would not affect the BJP’s seats.

Any loss in votes, he claimed, would be made up with the work done by the state and central governments like roads, highways, shipyard, institutes for yoga, naturopathy and Ayurveda and social security for the old.

Naik’s remarks over leadership in state, BJP’s poll agenda and the breakaway RSS faction are in line with Parrikar. Parrikar too believes BJP’s work in the state will take the party home in Goa with a 44 to 45 percent vote share.

LEADER LADDER

  • Manohar Parrikar was CM for two years from 2012 to 2014
     
  • Laxmikant Parsekar replaced Parrikar who became Defence Minister in Delhi.
     
  • Union minister Nitin Gadkari set the cat amongst pigeons last week as he did not rule out possibility of someone from Delhi coming back as CM
     
  • Sripad Naik is the other MP from Goa other than Parrikar and is also a Union Minister
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