Setback 2.0 for BJP? Parsekar leans towards MGP

Team Herald

PANJIM: In what could be a major setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party, their immediate former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar appears to be heading towards the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).

Though MGP is an alliance partner in the coalition government, the party has challenged the senior partner BJP in the forthcoming bypolls for Mapusa, Mandrem and Shiroda. Interestingly, a day after the bypolls were announced, Parsekar met with MGP president Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavalikar, who is himself likely to contest in Shiroda as the MGP candidate.

The meeting assumes significance as Parsekar has openly resented the decision of the saffron brigade of bringing his bête-noire Dayanand Sopte from the Congress to the BJP. Sopte is expected to get the BJP ticket from Mandrem.

Speaking to Herald Parsekar confirmed there was a meeting but refused to admit he was heading to the MGP. “Dhavalikar is not my enemy. I can meet anyone but I don’t want to talk about entry in MGP,” he said.

Even as Parsekar did not want to speak of a move to the regional party, sources in the MGP revealed that Parsekar is set to move to the MGP in the next few days.

Parsekar said BJP has assured him that they would conduct a survey before granting the ticket to anyone. “If my party has assured me than I have to trust them let us keep our fingers crossed,” he said.

However, he continued, there is no survey required as the mood in the constituency reveals everything. “Just see the meeting I had yesterday. We expected just 700 people and the crowd turned out to be around 2000,” he said adding, “This response is without any active campaigning or banners, hoardings etc.”

Asked what his meeting with Dhavalikar was about, he said, “We are politicians and we can meet. Is there any restriction?”

Asked what if his party declines him the ticket? He said, “Let the time come. All options are open.”

Recently in an interview with Herald, Parsekar had said, “Come what may, I will contest elections with or without BJP ticket.” He has also openly criticised the BJP brass in the State saying they were out to finish his political career.

This would be the second jolt to the BJP after their former Shiroda MLA and minister Mahadev Naik joined the Congress last month. Naik was irked as BJP plans to give the Shiroda ticket to another defector Subash Shirodkar.