Team Herald
PANJIM: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit which was expecting the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to return by Diwali after his recovery seems to be now finding itself in “no man’s land”.
With the CM’s condition deteriorating further and AIIMS giving a pre-mature discharge, sources revealed that the party has now started hectic search for a new leader.
The BJP Core Committee is expected to meet soon either on Sunday or Monday to decide on the future course, sources told Herald.
“This is shocking, and unexpected,” said a top BJP leader in Goa saying the party is already on look-out for a new CM.
On Friday, the Chief Minister had met BJP’s core committee members and ministers from the coalition partners at AIIMS to discuss ways to ensure his government functions normally during his absence from office due to ill health.
Leaders of the ruling BJP and its allies, who met Parrikar separately, had ruled out any change in leadership.
“There is no question of leadership change. CM is coming back very soon,” this was the statement of the four prominent leaders – Shripad Naik, Vijai Sardesai, Sudin Dhavalikar and Rohan Khaunte.
The core committee is the BJP’s key decision-making body, comprising senior leaders like Parrikar, Union minister Shripad Naik and party state chief Vinay Tendulkar, among others.
Union minister Naik told reporters in Panjim earlier in the day that it is okay if Parrikar undergoes treatment in Goa but he needs to take rest.
“There has been an improvement in his health compared to what it was when he was flown to AIIMS last month,” the AYUSH Minister said.
The minister said he met Parrikar on Friday.
“I got the news that he is coming back but I can’t believe that he is returning. His health is improving and he was expected to stay at the AIIMS for a few more days,” the BJP leader said.
Naik dismissed any possibility of dissolution of the Goa Assembly and expressed confidence that the Manohar Parrikar-led government will complete its five-year term.
Questions over the stability of the Goa government have been raised by the opposition Congress because of Parrikar’s illness.
In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the Manohar Parrikar-led government has the support of 23 MLAs.
These comprise 14 BJP MLAs, three each from the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) as well as three Independents.
