BJP red-faced over differences in Calangute saffron brigade?

TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
PANJIM/CALANGUTE: Keeping two of his legislators from stepping on each other’s toes became a preoccupation for Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar since Tuesday evening, as he tried to diffuse tension between Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, after the tourism minister inspected works in Calangute on Tuesday without the knowledge of Lobo.
Parrikar was forced to intervene in what could have turned out to be a big embarrassment for the BJP party, as two of its MLAs, Lobo and Parulekar were seen to be crossing swords with each other over territorial issues.
It is learnt that Parrikar invited Parulekar and Lobo to a meeting on Tuesday evening following the minister’s visit at Baga and Calangute. However, there was no positive outcome to the talks and both Lobo and Parulekar were invited again on Wednesday.
It is reliably learnt that the chief minister requested the tourism minister not to visit Calangute constituency without taking the Calangute MLA into confidence.
According to sources, Lobo shot off a complaint to the chief minister on Tuesday stating that Parulekar, at the behest of local panch Joseph Sequeira, had visited Baga, in his Calangute constituency, to meet fishermen regarding a fishing ramp and a football ground at Calangute, without informing him of Parulekar’s official visit.
Lobo decried the so called “jurisdictional trespass” in his constituency, especially since the minister for tourism visited Calangute constituency for non-tourism related issues.
“When there have been pending issues pertaining to tourism, my colleague has not made any time to drop by to resolve them,” said Lobo, adding that Parulekar had visited his constituency yesterday to speak to some fishermen at the behest of Sequeira.
He felt that Parulekar should have at least informed him of his visit which he had failed to do.
He said that there is already a provision for a fishing ramp at Baga and did not need Parulekar’s endorsement.
Lobo and Parulekar were both called by Parrikar for talks since yesterday evening with a strong message to both to bury the hatchet.
Sources said that Parulekar negated the allegations of Lobo and stated that he did visit Baga as he was invited and went there as he would had done had he been invited anywhere else in the State.
“The chief minister brokered a truce between the two of us by asking the minister not to visit the Calangute constituency for any official purpose without taking me into confidence,” Lobo said.
“I am not happy, but I have to accept the decision of the chief minister. However, the fact remains that Parulekar bypassed me and visited the village of Calangute,” Lobo said.
“I have made it clear to Parulekar that he can visit Calangute every week and have a meeting with Calangute Panchayat over developments in the village, but he should not play politics in Calangute,” added Lobo.
Despite repeated attempts, Parulekar was unavailable to comment in the matter, after claiming that he was busy at a meeting.