PANJIM: After Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, it is now Ashok Naik who has turned his back on the Congress, turning down their offer of a party ticket to contest the Panjim by-elections against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
With some supporters backing his candidature as a Congress candidate and others wanting him to contest as an Independent, Naik decided to pull out from the battlefield rather than face defeat. The former BJP leader, however, expressed his willingness to campaign against the Chief Minister, if Congress manages to field a winnable
candidate in Panjim.
“With a hope of fielding a consensus candidate who can win against Parrikar in Panjim, I had taken up the opportunity offered by the Congress. But then, you have to respect your supporters’ views,” Naik told media persons on Monday, announcing his decision not to contest.
“There was a divide among my supporters. Some were in favour of me contesting on a Congress ticket, while others were not willing to extend me support as a Congress candidate. They wanted me to fight as an Independent with Congress support. But as we know, it is not possible to win as an Independent against Parrikar,” the former Mayor and BJP founder said. “I didn’t want to fight an election to face defeat but to defeat Parrikar,” he added.
Naik also stated that there was a delay on the part of Congress to decide their candidate, as the party was in talks with two-three other probable candidates.
The former BJP Panjim mandal president said his decision not to contest was taken after consultations with supporters that include cross sections of society including the Bhandari Samaj, Catholic voters, and some former and present councilors in the City Corporation.
Naik had earlier been offered the Congress ticket for the Panjim by-election in February 2015 against BJP’s Siddharath Kuncolienkar, which he had declined. He was again spoken of as a candidate of the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) for the February 2017 elections.
“I was consulted by several parties at the last two elections to contest from Panjim. But as a loyal solider I stood with BJP,” he said, adding there was no political reason behind his decision not to contest.
Naik had resigned from the BJP on November 28, 2016, after 25 years in the party. The resignation was as a protest against the BJP government declining to grant Marathi official language status.
“If Congress manages to field a winnable candidate, then I am ready to extend my support along with my supporters,” he said adding, “It is not difficult to defeat Parrikar, provided you have a capable candidate.”
Claiming that he had proposed Parrikar’s name for Panjim constituency, when he had first contested in 1994, Naik said, “Parrikar neglected Panjim despite being five times MLA and three times Chief Minister.”
When contacted, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Shantaram Naik confirmed that Ashok Naik has declined the party’s offer to contest. “Today evening at around 4.45pm, he informed me about his decision telephonically. He said his supporters are divided and feel cannot win against Parrikar under the situation,” he said.
