PANJIM: Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has said the party will be part of NDA provided the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offers the former to contest one of the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa. 

"If the BJP gives us one LS seat to contest then we can be a part of NDA but if we contest on our own and win the polls, we will give a thought whether to support the NDA," MGP President Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavalikar said. 

He claimed that MGP, which is an important ally in the BJP-led coalition government, had not contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election as 'we were a coalition partner of the BJP. But this time, we will take a decision whether to contest or not.' In most likelihood the party is gearing up to field its candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections.  

He also said that PWD Minister Ramkrishna 'Sudin' Dhavalikar had attended the NDA meeting in New Delhi in April on the invitation of the BJP central leadership and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. This, he clarified does not mean that MGP is a part of NDA. "Time has not come yet. If we plan to be a part of the NDA, the central committee will take a final call," he added. 

MGP also reacted to Goa Forward's plan of spreading in opposition constituencies and even eyeing the MGP constituencies. 

He said many political parties are mushrooming in the State but there is a need to strengthen the party at grass root level.

"If our relation with BJP continues to be cordial we will once again form the government in the State like in 2012 without support from any other parties," he claimed.