State leaders harp on Parrikar’s development mantra in south
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: In minority-dominated Salcete, the BJP makes no mention of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as the party drums up support for the party drums up support of it south Goa Lok Sabha candidate, Narendra Sawaikar.
Nor does the party make any reference to the Gujarat model of development– a plank that has come in handy for the party’s national leadership while projecting Modi as the country’s future prime minister. Instead, Manohar Parrikar’s development mantra is more often than not harped and stressed by the local BJP’s leadership as they seek support and votes in minority pockets across the taluka.
Call it a plan or strategy to relegate Modi’s name or his Gujarat development model to the background, a wary BJP appears banking more on Parrikar’s schemes and the goodwill he earned from minorities over the last two years to win the two Lok Sabha seats for the BJP instead of the Modi factor. Otherwise, just consider this: BJP’s south Goa candidate, Narendra Sawaikar was in minority Salcete the entire day, interacting with influential seafarers and people of Benaulim. In his entire speech, an overcautious Sawaikar ensured that neither Modi’s name figured nor the Gujarat model of development anywhere. On the contrary, he sought support of the seafarers to strengthen Parrikar’s hands for central aid to fund schemes and programmes by electing him to Parliament.
Political analysts say the fact that the BJP maintains silence on Modi at its election propaganda is a deliberate attempt to prevent consolidation of the minority vote towards the Congress. Sources say the BJP has realised that the minorities are not inclined to vote for Narendra Modi as the country’s next prime minister. At the same time the party leadership is fully aware that Parrikar is still the best bet for the party to tap the minority vote in favour of Sawaikar given the enormous amount of goodwill he earned amongst Salcete minorities post the 2012 assembly poll. That probably explains the party’s strategic move to highlight Parrikar’s achievements before the minorities instead of projecting Modi’s candidature or his Gujarat model of development.
When this reporter asked Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar whether the BJP is deliberately playing down the Modi factor in the minority areas as part of an election strategy, he felt there’s no need to project this model or that model of development. “We highlight our state government achievements for the plain reason that people has seen development in the state in the last two years. We would not have invited Modi to Goa for the rally at Merces if that was our plan”, he said, while trying to play down the Modi factor.
Analysts say Parrikar’s repeated insistence that Goa’s two Lok Sabha seats will not make much of a difference in government formation at the Centre and that a victory would only strengthen his hands is again an attempt not only to play down the Modi factor before the minorities, but to also cast a vote in his favour.
