Q: After nearly 40 years, the chair of the chief minister is in the sight of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. Do you think your party will be able get hold of the same?
Goans have seen the work carried out in the state by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party for last 17 years, since 1999 till date, especially between 2006 and 2017. Our work gathers more importance as from time to time only two to three of our MLAs have been elected, in spite of which we have delivered. Furthermore, the organisation of our party has also been strengthened over the years, which is a commendable achievement. And finally, people have experienced the governments as well as administration of national parties namely Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party from 2007 to 2012 and from 2012 till date, respectively. There is no doubt that the work of MGP stood out as compared to these two parties, due to which new winds of political change started blowing in the state. This is a clear indication of MGP coming to power in Goa, after the February 4 state assembly election.
Q: Following the forthcoming state assembly election, if need be, would you go for a post-poll alliance with any other political party, outside your grand alliance?
We, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, the Goa Suraksha Manch and the Shiv Sena are confident of getting 21 seats, the absolute majority and forming government in the state. This is the exact reason, why we have already announced the name of Sudin Dhavalikar as the chief ministerial candidate of the grand alliance. We all are determined to make Sudin Dhavalikar our next chief minister. And we are going ahead with this determination. And even if there is a post-poll alliance, then the precondition for it would be Sudin Dhavalikar heading the government.
Q: Your party had earlier tied up with the Congress after the 2007 state assembly election and with the Bharatiya Janata Party before the 2012 state assembly polls. Are these parties similar in nature, especially as one party chooses to call itself, ‘a party with a difference’?
We had formed a post and pre-poll alliance with the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, respectively, so that there could be a stable government in Goa, and the state need not face elections again and again. We had to compromise politically due to this reason. Unfortunately, the Congress as well as the BJP are birds of the same feather, and there is absolutely no difference between the two. This is the reason why there is a need of a government of the regional party in Goa, and the MGP can fulfil this requirement, as it is the oldest regional political party in the state, known for its grassroots connectivity.
Q: You have tied up with the Goa Suraksha Manch, whose main issue for election is withdrawal of government grants to the English medium schools in Goa. Will your party, in the event of coming to power support this issue, even if it does not augur well for the Catholic community in Goa, when a government is supposed to take into consideration expectations of all sections of the society?
If we are able to win 21 seats in this election, then withdrawal of government grants to the English medium schools would be our first decision. If we are able to secure majority, then this would be our first decision.
Q: Your party as well as its coalition partners have time and again stressed on preserving the culture and identity of Goa. The official state language and casinos are two issues closely linked to the culture and identity of Goa. Would your party give the official language status to Marathi along with Konkani, and further shut down all casinos in the state?
To protect our culture, it is very important that we give basic education to our children in Marathi or Konkani as the medium of instruction. English primary education is just not able to introduce our children to age-old traditions of this land, which results in the westernisation of our new generations. As regards giving official language status to Marathi, we would look at this issue in the future. Our stand on other issues like ill-effects of casinos, mining problems, public opposition to golf course would be decided after we, the three coalition parties, sit together and discuss the same. In fact, all these issues would be addressed in out manifesto.