PANJIM: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will host a grand celebration to felicitate former chief minister and present Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on his 60th birthday on December 13.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh (Home) and Nitin Gadkari (Shipping) will be present at the civic reception to be held at Gymkhana grounds, Campal and expected to be attended by nearly 20,000 to 25,000 party workers and well wishers.
A felicitation committee under Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar will be constituted on Thursday at a special party workers’ meeting.
Speaking to Herald, BJP president Vinay Tendulkar said, “Manoharbhai is our senior State leader. He is the face of the BJP in Goa even today. It was a proud moment for the State when bhai was elevated to the Narendra Modi-led cabinet as Defence Minister. This is our way of appreciating and thanking him for all his love and hard work for the party and State,” he said.
The felicitation committee will consist of present and former MLAs, ministers, industrialists and others who have worked closely with Parrikar.
Parrikar, born on December 13, 1955, has served as chief minister from 2000-05 and from March 2012 to November 2014. He was inducted into the Union Cabinet on November 9, last year.
Parrikar has been the BJP face in Goa and it was under his leadership that the saffron party won a historical majority in March 2012 Assembly elections, bagging 21 of the 40 Assembly seats.
BJP had also organized a civic reception on the 60th birthday of Union Minister for AYUSH, Sripad Naik, in October 2013. Then Leader of the Opposition and present Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had been present.
