Former Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Wednesday termed state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar “shameless” and demanded his resignation over the induction of two former Congress MLAs into the party.
Mr. Parsekar accused Mr. Tendulkar of undermining the party cadre by his decision to induct his archrival Dayanand Sopte, along with Subhash Shirodkar, without taking him into confidence.
Mr. Sopte had defeated Mr. Parsekar, then sitting chief minister in the 2017 Assembly elections, from the Mandrem constituency in North Goa. Mr. Sopte and Mr. Shirodkar were formally inducted into the party in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Mr. Parsekar was speaking to reporters ahead of a BJP core committee meeting.
He said, “The president has shamelessly announced that there are two more Congress MLAs in the waiting. It is a matter of shame. I cannot tolerate it. He should resign if he cannot tell the national president that he has taken a wrong decision.”
Mr. Parsekar received the support of two former BJP Ministers Dayanand Mandrekar and Rajendra Arlekar. Mr. Mandrekar said, “The decision was not discussed with the members of the core committee, which I am a part of. If it was discussed, I would have asked how can you take in a person [Sopte] who has betrayed the party on the election eve. People are unhappy with yesterday’s episode.”
‘Think before you speak’
In response to Mr. Parsekar’s tirade, Mr. Tendulkar said, “When an elephant walks, dogs bark. But the elephant does not pause to look around. He keeps walking unmindful of it.” He also warned Mr. Parsekar to think before making such statements which would have an adverse effect on the party.
Mr. Tendulkar said, “Parsekar is an intelligent leader. He is a professor, principal, former chief minister and former State president. He needs to think before he speaks.” He said that the inclusion of the two Congress MLAs was in sync with the BJP’s vision of a Congress-free India. He also clarified that no money changed hands for the switch over.
Mr. Tendulkar said, “Not a single paisa was spent by the party. They even bought their own tickets [to Delhi]. They booked their own hotel rooms too. There was no exchange of money.” He said that the party was in a stronger position now in the constituencies represented by Mr. Sopte and Mr. Shirodkar.
