THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: With the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) indicating that it wasn't inclined to rush into an alliance deal, the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) appears to have continued its effort to convince the regional party for a pre-poll tie-up ahead of upcoming 2022 Goa Assembly elections.
The BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade said the party's election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis is in talks with MGP over alliance.
Tanavade said Fadnavis already held meeting with MGP leader Ramakrishna Dhavalikar on the issue and the talks are on.
"I am not holding any talks. Our election in-charge is in talks with MGP on alliance...the meetings have also taken place," he said.
Dhavalikar had met Fadnavis in Mumbai in October. However, Dhavalikar had denied of having any talks on alliance during the meeting.
MGP had fought 2012 election in alliance with the BJP while in 2017; it had extended support to late Manohar Parrikar to form the government.
While MGP has repeatedly denied of forging an alliance with the BJP, sources say party has demanded 12 seats, while BJP is willing to share only four-five.
Fadnavis, who was in Goa earlier this week, had held a series of meetings to solicit feedback from the party’s MLAs on possible alliances.
The group within the BJP is divided, as some opine that party should go for an alliance, while a few, especially the ones who resigned from MGP and joined the saffron party, are against any tie-up.
The BJP is eyeing an alliance over the possible fear of split in the votes between them and the MGP, in some of the crucial constituencies that will benefit the opposition.
