PANJIM: The alliance partners in the ruling dispensation – the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party are currently locked in seat-sharing dialogues for the Zilla Panchayat polls, scheduled for March 18. The BJP is, however, not willing to accept the MGP’s demand for 19 of the total 50 seats.
The saffron party has also shown its disinclination for going to the ZP polls along with Goa Vikas Party.
“BJP-MGP alliance for ZP polls is under consideration. The talks are being held by the party leadership,” BJP legislator Kiran Kandolkar said, adding that the party leaders will decide about seat sharing.
“They (MGP) might ask for the moon but that does not mean we should give it to them,” he said reacting to their demand of contesting 19 seats.
BJP spokesperson Dr Wilfred Mesquita said that the MGP will have to see that they are not in majority in the government and that BJP holds the major chunk.
When asked whether the BJP will also have alliance with GVP, Mesquita said that there is no such proposal from GVP and hence the question does not arise. “Why should we go to them?” he questioned.
While the party workers of both BJP and MGP have expressed their desire to go it alone for the ZP polls, the party leadership has not been clear on the issue, so far. However, both have said that if required they are ready to go it alone.
The MGP had recently moved a proposal to its ally –the BJP, to go into the ZP elections in alliance. The BJP is likely to have a special meeting of party workers and MLAs next week to decide on the fate of the alliance for the March 18 Zilla Panchayat elections.
