With two years to go before the State votes again, the Bharatiya Janata Party has already sounded the poll bugle with Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant setting a target of 30 seats in the 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly. That will be the major task before the new State unit president Sadanand Shet Tanawde who took charge of the organisation on Sunday, January 12. In response, Tanawade, accepting the challenge, has given the legislature wing of the party a task, which is to address the party workers’ grievances, for which he said he will set up a mechanism whereby the workers can meet the ministers and the MLAs at the party office.
That, however, is not a new idea from a new president. A similar attempt a couple of years ago faltered. He will have to bring in more of his thoughts and innovations to the party he now leads, especially since the BJP has placed complete confidence in him. In a display of unanimity, Tanawade was elected president of the party unopposed, though former MP Narendra Sawaikar and former MLAs Damodar Naik and Dilip Parulekar were also being considered for the post. Tanawade, who as a very active general secretary for several terms was aware of the party’s strengths and weaknesses took the lead in the race, and the party organisation’s support. Besides the organisational role that he has played, Tanawade, a former MLA, also brings legislative experience to the post, and also some administrative experience having also earlier been joint secretary to the chief minister.
Tanawade, however, will not get much breathing space. His first task will be the Zilla Parishad (ZP) elections due in March this year. Five years ago the ZP elections had been held on party lines, and though the BJP was in power at that time, the party had not fared well. The government is yet to decide whether to hold the forthcoming ZP polls on party lines or not. Whatever, the government decision, having recently taken charge of the party, the new president would not want to start his term with a failure against his name, which will mean that he will be focusing all his energies on this poll, and doing so immediately. A lot of this will also depend on the team that the new president puts in place to help him meet the objectives. Tanawde will also has to ensure that the new entrants to the party – and there are many of them – will follow the party line.
Party activities apart, the new president will also have to deal with matters that the government has been struggling with over the past year. He has already stated that he will take up the issues of the River Mhadei water diversion issue and the pending mining crisis with the Central leadership for a resolution. These are two of the more pressing issues that the BJP government in the State has been unable to resolve. There are, however, other issues like the State’s financial situation that also requires a major overhaul to bring the State economy back on track. Whether Tanawade, who is also the chairman of the Economic Development Corporation, is able to advice the government on this, only time will tell.
For BJP, that is restructuring itself following the deaths of Manohar Parrikar and Francis D’Souza last year, the months ahead are going to be crucial, as they lack a leader with the proven abilities of those that passed away. It has now been left to Sawant and Tanawade to carry the party forward and the first of the verdicts will come with the ZP results. This will also indicate the mood of the State’s electorate two years before the poll. For the party, therefore, delivering on promises is essential.
