Grand alliance to take on BJP in Goa polls

The former Goa chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Subhash Velingkar, on Tuesday announced the formation of a grand political alliance to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the February 4 State Assembly elections.

Mr. Velingkar, the convenor of the alliance, comprising the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), the Shiv Sena and the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), declared the former PWD Minister and MGP leader, Sudin Dhavalikar, as its chief ministerial candidate.

Mr. Velingkar said the alliance, which will bring out a common minimum programme, has decided to contest 37 of the 40 Legislative Assembly seats: the MGP (26), the GSM (six) and the Shiv Sena (five). The GSM’s Anand Shirodkar, the MGP’s Sudin Dhavalikar and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut represented the members of the alliance on Tuesday.

Mr. Velingkar was sacked as the RSS’s sanghachalak for the Goa region following his relentless criticism of the BJP government’s failure to stop grants to English medium primary schools of run by the Archdiocese of Goa. He said, “Our agenda is to protect Goa’s languages and culture. Once we come to power, government grants to English medium primary schools will be withdrawn.”

While the Shiv Sena was committed to the formation of an anti-BJP alliance for more than a month, the MGP decided to join the alliance only after the model code of conduct came into force. It has been less than a month since two of the MGP’s Cabinet Ministers were sacked from the BJP-led coalition government for their criticism of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

While Mr. Velingkar said the GSM would not enter into an alliance with the BJP after the results were declared, the MGP leader said he would prefer to keep his options open. Mr. Velingkar said the GSM was not in the fray owing to ego clash between him and Mr. Parrikar over giving grants to English medium primary schools. “We have come together not because we have differences with some personalities. The agitation by the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) was not a fight between Subhash Velingkar and Manohar Parrikar.”

He said the BBSM was annoyed that the BJP government had continued with the Congress regime’s grants’ policy. “We are disappointed with Mr. Parrikar and Chief Minister Parsekar. When Digambar Kamat was the Chief Minister, there was agitation against him. The agitation was against those who have changed their ideologies. What was happening five years ago, is happening now,’’

He said the grants’ policy ran counter to the national education policy. “It’s unnatural and unscientific. A decision would be taken on priority basis if the alliance forms the government.”