NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Union Minister of State for AYUSH (independent charge) Shripad Naik on Monday said that the report of an internal survey as carried out by the Bharatiya Janata Party indicated that the reelection of Speaker Anant Shet and Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar at the forthcoming state assembly election was doubtful and hence they were replaced by ‘winnable’ candidates.
Naik, who was addressing a press conference, also informed that his party has filed complaint with the police as well as Election Commission of India, against the supporters of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidate in Pernem, Manohar ‘Babu’ Azgaonkar, for acting rough with the BJP workers accompanying the party’s candidate, Rajendra Arlekar, who was leaving after filing his nomination papers. “Everyone has a right to give slogans in support of their candidate, but has no right to create ruckus,” he added.
It is alleged that the supporters of Azgaonkar manhandled state general secretary of BJP Sadanand Tanawde. It was also informed that the PI of the Pernem police station, Sanjay Dalvi, failed to calm the situation and was a silent spectator.
Speaking further, Naik said that the local leaders of the BJP including Manohar Parrikar, Vinay Tendulkar, Laxmikant Parsekar and he himself have started the tour of various electoral constituencies around the state, while the national leaders of the party would soon start arriving in Goa to address the public.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address one public meeting in Goa, tentatively on January 28 at Panaji,” he added, informing that the central ministers namely Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Venkaiah Naidu, Smriti Irani, Ananth Kumar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, besides that former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis would address the public rallies of the party in Goa.
When asked if the central leadership of the BJP has discussed with him the possibility of bringing a party’s central leader in Goa as the state chief minister after the assembly election, Naik replied in the negative.
It may be recalled that Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had recently said that either the elected candidates of the BJP could choose their leader from among themselves, who will be the next chief minister of Goa, or a central leader of the party, who is not a legislator, could also be brought here to hold the post.
“Neither the BJP leadership nor the Sangh Parivar has said anything to me in this context, but I am a dedicated soldier of the party and would do anything that my party would tell me,” Naik maintained.
Answering a question, Naik stated that the BJP would take decision about contesting in Nuvem, Benaulim and Navelim constituencies in a day or two.