TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: After earlier declaring that minorities had apprehensions about the BJP, in a virtual volte-face Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza on Wednesday said that the saffron party is whole heartedly accepted by the Catholic community, and there are no fears left in their minds after the March 2012 Assembly elections.
Addressing media persons, D’Souza claimed that party will do better in Salcete at the April 12 Parliamentary polls, and the 2017 Assembly elections. “There is a positive response towards the party by Catholic leaders in Salcete. They have accepted the party in a big way,” he said.
D’Souza said that party’s decision to give assembly tickets to six Catholic community candidates, has proved fruitful, with BJP managing to weed out fears from the minds of the minority community about it being communal. People have realised that Congress, which claims of being secular, is the most communal party, he claimed.
“The effect of the same would be seen at the Lok Sabha elections results,” the senior BJP leader in Goa said when asked about people’s response to the party candidate Narendra Sawaikar in Salcete.
Salcete has always been Congress dominated taluka. BJP however, managed to make inroads there during the assembly election when candidates backed by the party emerged victorious.
D’Souza, meanwhile, said that the Greenfield International airport at Mopa is a must. “The airport at Dabolim will not be able to sustain the increasing air traffic. The Party stand is clear that Dabolim will continue to function and Mopa is for future needs,” he said.
D’Souza said that party that launched its poll campaign with Narendra Modi’s Vijay Sankalp rally on January 12, is confident of winning both seats with clear majority. “The BJP will manage to get 4.50 to 5 lakh votes,” he said.
