Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) must induct a new Chief Minister in place of Laxmikant Parsekarand if the party wants to continue with the BJP-MGP alliance in Goa, the BJP should then only come for talks, regional outfit (MGP) Maharashtrwadi Gomnatak Party demanded on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference in the city headquarters of the party after a meeting of the regional party's Central committee, MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar, who is also a Minister in the BJP-led alliance government, also said that the party was as of now open and preparing to contest all the 40 legislative assembly seats if the alliance with the BJP does not work out. He criticised the manner in which the demonetisation decision was implemented across the country and Goa wherein common people suffer.
"Mr. Parsekar as Chief Minister has been imposed on us. They did not take us into confidence while replacing Mr Manohar Parrikar , still we had given our views then. We have asked the BJP to change Mr. Parsekar if this alliance is to be taken forward to the next election," Mr. Dhavalikar told presspersons.
Ponda MLA Lavu Mamledar said that under Mr. Parsekar's leadership, "Goa has gone back 10 years in his rule of two and a half years".
Mr. Parsekar was appointed Chief Minister in November 2014 by the BJP when Mr. Parrikar was elevated as Defence Minister in the Centre.
Of the three MGP MLAs, two Dhavlikar siblings continue as Ministers under Mr. Parsekar.
"When the alliance talks were on in 2012, we had insisted that Mr. Parrikar should be Chief Minister. But when he became Defence Minister, they imposed Mr. Parsekar on us who has failed to abide by “Alliance -Dharma”, said Mr. Dhavlikar and accused Mr. Parsekar of failing to take MGP in confidence over some of the major government decisions.
Political observers here point out that bickerrings between alliance partners, the MGP and the BJP has increased in recent times, especially with the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Samiti(BBSM), movement opposing government grants to English language primary schools led by rebel RSS Goa leader Subhash Velingkar dealt a blow to BJP by hobnobbing with the MGP. The Goa Suraksha Manch(GSM), political outfit floated by BBSP to defeat BJP “for betrayal of people over medium of instruction” has been making open overtures to MGP to join hands ahead of elections to the 40 member Goalegislative assembly likely to be held early next year.
The BJP has a simple majority of 21 seats in the State assembly. The government has support of some independents also.
While the idea to weed out black money is good, the manner in which de-monetisation has been implemented has put people in hardship, said Mr. Dhavalikar criticising the implementation of the demonetisation policy.
But asked for their continuation in such a government, Mr. Dhavlikar said that the decisions taken by the Executive of the party on this issue will be declared only after election is announced and code of conduct comes into force.
When asked for his reaction to the demand made by the MGP for his ouster, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar told The Hindu that, firstly, he was amazed that the MGP which worked with him in the government for now more than two years was making such a grievance now.
“As far as I am concerned decision regarding me was taken by our party and our legislators. Our party does not need others to decide who would be our legislative leader as we do not interefere in MGP affairs to decide their leader,” said Mr. Parsekar, and he added, “You ask my party organisation any further questions in this regard.”
