MARGAO: The BJP leadership was on a “ghar wapsi” mission in Salcete on Sunday as a revolt by party cadre from Navelim dealt a huge blow to the party and left party leaders red-faced for the Davorlim seat.
Even as party candidate Ulhas Tuemkar hit the campaign trail with party workers, BJP top leaders were closely engaged in getting back rebel leader Satyavijai Naik and others who quit the organisation, back into the party fold.
Chief Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar, who was in Margao in connection with a private function, is believed to have sent a message to local party leaders, including Damu Naik to use his good offices with rebel leader Satyavijai and ensure his return into the party. Party South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar was also drafted for the job to bring about a compromise between the warring factions to ensure a truce leading to ultimate withdrawal of Satyavijai from the fray.
Sources in the know said that top party leaders tried to contact BJP State Secretary and the party’s Muslim face Sheikh Jina, who is aligned with the Satyavijai camp, to bring about a rapprochement amongst the warring groups. Jina had accompanied Satyavijai to the office of the Returning Officer at the time of filing of nomination papers.
It is learnt that BJP Davorlim candidate Ulhas Tuemkar tried to soothe ruffled feathers of the Satyavijai camp when the duo came face to face at the time of scrutiny of nomination papers. Tuemkar was also spotted outside the venue of the private function around Sunday noon trying to meet the Chief Minister, who has reportedly told him that the party leadership is on the job to convince the rebels to return back, while asking him to start his door-to-door campaign.
When Herald contacted Satyavijai Naik for his comments on his return to the BJP fold, he struck a defiance cord, saying there’s no looking back now with his supporters gearing up for the election. “I have made it clear to the media on Saturday that I will not withdraw from the fray come what may. I have called a meeting of my workers on Sunday evening to take stock of the situation and to gear up for the battle ahead,” he said.
Satyavijai said that as many as 44 out of the 55 members of the Navelim block have quit the party in protest against the denial of the ticket to him. “That 44 members of the mandal have sent in their resignation, indicates that majority of the mandal members had supported my candidature,” he said, while accusing the party leadership for awarding the party ticket to Tuemkar without taking into account the ground reality.
While Satyavijai firmly ruled out the possibility of returning back to the BJP fold and withdraw his nomination papers on the date of withdrawal on Monday, party leaders have not lost hope yet, exuding confidence of working out a compromise formulae before dawn.
BJP goes into an overdrive
u BJP candidate for Davorlim Ulhas Tuemkar hits campaign trail with party workers
u Top BJP leaders closely engaged in getting back rebel leader Satyavijai Naik and others
u Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar directs local party leaders to get Satyavijai back
u BJP’s South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar put on the job to strike compromise
u Top party leaders try to reach out to BJP State Secretary Sheikh Jina who is aligned to Satyavijai
u Ulhas Tuemkar tries to soothe ruffled feathers, comes face to face with Satyavijai camp during scrutiny of nomination papers
u Tuemkar meets the Chief Minister, is told that party is on the job to convince rebels. Gets green signal to start his door-to-door campaign
NO TURNING BACK: SATYAVIJAI
I have made it clear to the media on Saturday that I will not withdraw from the fray come what may. That 44 members of the mandal sending in their resignation indicates that majority of the mandal members supported my candidature. The party leadership has announced the ticket to Tuemkar without taking into account the ground reality.
