Team Herald
PANJIM: The BJP Goa Unit has replaced two BJP mandals with new members, including the one headed by AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik’s son Siddesh, citing the committees’ inactiveness. The party, however, has no complaints with Siddesh, who headed Cumbarjua mandal, and has decided to elevate him to the district level.
“We have appointed new faces for Cumbarjua and Mayem mandals. Siddesh is not ousted because we have decided to promote him as an office-bearer of the party’s north district committee. All those who are doing a good job are being rewarded with a higher stature in the party fold,” BJP Goa Unit President Vinay Tendulkar said after a meeting of the BJP State Executive on Friday.
Asked for the reason for the sudden reshuffle, Tendulkar conceded it was because of the committees’ inactiveness. “Many committees are not active which is why we decided to change the members,” he said.
Six other mandals – Sanguem, Pernem, Mandrem, Canacona, Prior and Dabolim – are to undergo changes in local leadership. “It will take around 15 days to appoint new leaders at the local blocks,” a BJP office-bearer told Herald.
The first meeting after the polls saw cabinet ministers in attendance and some defeated candidates besides party karyakartas and office-bearers.
The party in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar announced the appointment of Prasad Bhandari and Chandan as Cumbarjua Mandal Presdent and General Secretary respectively. The second mandal to be changed was Mayem with Dayanand Karbotkar as President and Shashikant Sawant as General Secretary.
The meeting also resolved not to hold panchayat elections on party lines, but, Tendulkar said the candidates would be backed by the party.
Parrikar told MLAs that focusing on giving government jobs to local youth or favourite transfers will not fetch votes. He cited the example of Mandrem where around 1200 youth were given employment in different government departments despite which former CM Laxmikant Parsekar lost. Similarly, another 100-odd Pernem locals filled various vacancies but this too did not ensure BJP’s victory. Parrikar reiterated his advice to the MLAs and ex-MLAs to connect with the people and maintain cordial relations.
Tendulkar also said that Congress President Luizinho Faleiro has no right to speak on panchayat elections. “The Congress should have first formed a government before making any remarks. We don’t believe in dry days (referring to opposition on holding panchayat elections on June 25). The government will submit the date to the State Election Commission.”
Around 300-350 BJP karyakartas will conduct booth-level meetings to strengthen the party’s base in view of panchayat polls.
