On his 60th birthday, the veteran MP promised the moon if BJP wins Lok Sabha polls
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said that he is confident that BJP senior leader and Member of Parliament Shripad Naik would get representation in the Union Cabinet once BJP-led government comes to power in Delhi after the Lok Sabha 2014 elections.
“I am confident that when BJP clinches victory over both the seats for the (Lok Sabha) polls, Naik would be honoured with senior-most ministership,” Parrikar said while addressing a crowd of over 10,000 gathered at SAG ground to celebrate the 60th birthday of Naik on Friday.
Settling the rumours about the political dispute between him and Naik, Parrikar said ‘there is nothing to worry…those who tried to divide us, failed.’
Amidst heavy rain, a sizable crowd attended the four-hour-long function organized to felicitate Naik on his diamond birthday. When the rain tried to play spoil sport for some time, Chief Minister personally went to the crowd, where people were running across the ground for shelter and calmed them down.
BJP senior national leader Venkaiah Naidu, addressing the gathering said that ‘in the coming elections Sripad Naik will be raised to further political height’, and heaped praises on him with words such as honest, dedicated, committed, ideological and dynamic politician.
“The country needs such politicians who are honest. Naik is a people-oriented politician,” Naidu said calling Naik and Parrikar as ‘Krishna-Arjun’ of Mahabharat.
Goa Assembly speaker Rajendra Arlekar, deputy chief Minister Francis D’Souza along with other cabinet ministers, BJP legislators and party workers were present on the occasion.
Former Chief Minister Shashikala Kakodkar and MGP president Pandurang Deepak Dhavalikar also shared the dais with the BJP leaders.
People from various fields including industrialist Srinivas Dempo, freedom fighter Nagesh Karmali, Subhash Velingkar and Dr Rufino Monterio were amongst those who spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, BJP state president Vinay Tendulkar said that party and people would like to see Naik at the center holding a ministerial post.
He said that they are confident that BJP will give him the berth once the party comes to power, which was denied to Goa all these years by the UPA regime.
