Former Union minister and Goa desk in-charge NCP’s Praful Patel Saturday met the executive members and office bearers of the unit, where the decision was taken even as sources indicate that two of its stalwats could desert it.
Patel told his party workers that the mining issue, regional plan, medium of instruction, special status to Goa, removal of casino, illegal trafficking of coal at Kiranpani jetty have to be the main issues that the party should attack the government along with national issues such as the Ghar Wapsi programme, vandalisation of churches, atmosphere of insecurity among the minorities, thereby compromising the secular fabric of the country and passing of the land acquisition ordinance.
The issue of Zilla Parishad election on party line was discussed threadbare and it was resolved to maintain the original stand of the party that elections to local self governing bodies such as panchayats, municipalities, corporations and Zilla Panchayats should not be held on party lines and as such it was decided to lodge a strong protest by not fielding candidates from their party in the ensuing ZP election but to give liberty to party workers to contest the elections independently.
The party would also start the Jan-Jagruti Abhiyan highlighting the above issues and alleged “misdeeds” of the BJP government. The Abhiyan would start from Mandrem constituency and culminate at Vasco-da-Gama port town after the Zilla Panchayat election.
Bhaskarrao Jadhav ex-minister and ex-president of NCP’s Maharashtra unit has been appointed as observer for the state unit.
