Herald: Your alliance partner BJP has alleged that MGP is trying to take political mileage out of MoI issue because of elections and asked you to stop making statements in the media.
Lavoo Mamledar: When you have given assurance that within six months the issue of MoI will be resolved and you have waited till the next election that means you are having a double standard and people have understood it. Our party is not a slave of BJP that they will ask us to stop reacting. MGP is independent party with independent ideology. Maximum that they can do is to remove us from the government that they should do instead of asking us to shut our mouth. Vinay Tendulkar doesn’t know the meaning of democracy. You cannot suppress our feelings and also of the people.
HERALD: Why didn’t the MG party speak over MoI issue for more than four years?
LM: Frankly speaking, soon after elections, BJP had decided that they will not give us any ministry, that time Sudin had said ‘fine you all run the government.’ Now they feel that because of their favour we are here and there was no question raising this issue. Take the example of Ponda. I am in the ruling party but almost all the work is done is the opposition wards. It is very wrong to state that we were silent for four years. Actually talking and implementing things are different. When have they listened to us so far?
HERALD: Do you think an alliance will affect because of MoI issue in the coming assembly elections?
LM: We would not like to break the alliance because we do not want notorious people and party to come to power. It is a view of the people and even mine. And to keep them away from governance we have to act accordingly.
HERALD: Do you think vote bank of MGP will suffer if an alliance is made out with BJP in the present situation and mainly due to MoI?
LM: I don’t think so. If alliance is made than our supporters will vote for them and their supporters will vote us. There won’t be any problem with vote sharing. Though we have not decided over alliance, this is what I feel.
HERALD: Why do you think an alliance is must with BJP?
LM: Though BJP has given step-motherly treatment to MGP and even our ideologies are different people feel that alliance should be done for better governance and development in Goa.
