Team Herald
PANJIM: Despite MGP outrightly rejecting any talks on withdrawal from Shiroda polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is still hopeful the coalition partner will respect the “coalition dharma.”
BJP State President Vinay Tendulkar said that his MGP counterpart Deepak Dhavalikar will listen to the advice of the coalition government and not contest the upcoming by-election from Shiroda assembly constituency against the official (BJP) candidate.
Addressing a press conference Tendulkar said that during the formation of government under Pramod Sawant, Dhavalikar had assured the BJP senior central leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari that he would not contest the Shiroda by-election.
“I was told that Dhavalikar has started his campaigning in the constituency. But I am optimistic that he will not contest,” Tendulkar said.
He added that “Sudin Dhavalikar and Deepak both had assured Gadkari that MGP party would not contest the Shiroda by-poll.
“I don’t know what happened next,” he said adding, “I am optimistic that Dhavalikar will respect the coalition dharma and not contest upcoming by-election against official candidate from Shiroda constituency,” he said.
The by-elections in Shiroda, Mandrem and Mapusa Assembly segments; are scheduled on April 23 along with two seats of Lok Sabha in Goa.
