PANJIM: Bharatiya Janata Party has offered its alliance partners and supporting Independent MLAs 17 seats for the March 18 Zilla Panchayat elections. The BJP has retained the major chunk of 33 constituencies.
BJP spokesman Dr Wilfred Mesquita confirmed that Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has been offered 10 constituencies, GVP has been offered five and the two independents have been offered one each. He said the official announcement would come by Friday or Saturday.
MGP is, however, hopeful the BJP would concede two more seats and take the number to 12.
MGP president and Minister Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavalikar said that so far BJP has offered the party 10 seats. However, he maintained, they wanted at least 12 constituencies. “We are having another meeting with BJP on Friday. We are confident of getting 12 seats,” he said.
Though the MGP had demanded 19 seats, the BJP has offered them 10 constituencies, seven in Ponda taluka alone. Sources say that one seat in St Cruz constituency has also been offered to the MGP. The details of the other two constituencies are unclear.
On the other hand, the Goa Vikas Party (GVP) led by MLA Francisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco has been offered the ZP constituencies of Benaulim, Nuvem, Colva and Raia. Labour Minister and Independent MLA Avertano Furtado has been given freedom to field a candidate in the constituency he represents – Navelim, while Benjamin Silva will field a ZP candidate from his Velim constituency.
State BJP leaders on Wednesday met with party higher ups, including Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, where MGP leader Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar was also present at Goa Sadan in Delhi.
The first ZP elections on party lines, for 50 constituencies will be held on March 18. Filing of nominations begins from February 28, with last date being March 7.
While BJP and MGP grassroots workers were not too keen on continuing the alliance for the polls, the party leadership was keen to go ahead with the winning combination.
The Opposition Congress and ally NCP have refused to contest ZP elections on party lines, but have decided to back individual candidates.
