PANJIM: Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has denied resentment in the BJP over the recent entry of Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar claiming that party cadres were taken into confidence before deciding to allow the latter into the party fold.
“There is no disturbance anywhere in the party with Madkaikar’s entry. All the party cadres were taken into confidence before inducting him. We had also spoken to (North Goa MP) Shripad Naik,” he told reporters replying to queries over Naik’s absence at Vijay Sankalp rally in Old Goa on Friday.
The Lok Sabha MP, and his son and BJP leader Siddesh’s absence at the mahamelava had raised a few eyebrows among the people.
Speaking on the sidelines of launching a report of the Directorate of Official Language, Parrikar nonetheless conceded that some party leaders were apprehensive about the former congressman’s entry into BJP but all the questions were later clarified. Madkaikar joined the BJP minutes after resigning from the Congress on December 22. His entry was marked days after another Congress legislator Mauvin Godinho put down his papers to join the BJP.
Reacting on the rift between the BJP and its ally MGP following sacking of minister brothers – Ramkrishna (Sudin) and Pandurang (Dipak) Dhavalikar’s, the former chief minister reiterated that its doors for the regional party is always open. “Doors for taking BJP-MGP alliance in the upcoming polls is not closed,” he stated, a statement made a day after their removal from the cabinet.
