Team Herald
PANJIM: Congress on Wednesday accused Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of “horse trading” in panchayat members and “manipulating” the verdict to grab hold on panchayats, where it has lost base.
The accusation comes a day after Parrikar claimed that the results of the panchayat elections established that the BJP is main force in the State.
“I don’t understand on what basis the chief minister is making such statements. The panchayat results are a replication of the Assembly election results. BJP has lost it and now it is busy buying panchas to get hold over the panchayats. BJP is master in robbing people’s mandate,” Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavalekar said and alleged that government machinery is being misused.
He claimed that Congress has retained hold over most panchayats in the South and also a few in the North, while BJP was routed in the South.
All India Congress Committee Secretary Girish Chodankar said, “BJP has won Panchayat elections without contesting. BJP is a master manipulator. They are manipulating winners as their candidates. Had they named the candidates before the elections, people would have rejected many of them.”
He added, “Parrikar’s invite to elected panch members at his bungalow is clear indication that he has opened the shop for shopping Panchayat members and to project them as BJP’s victory.”
“It was shocking that Parrikar who is unavailable to his ministers and MLAs kept three hours to meet elected Panchas. BJP wants to win the winning candidates,” he said.
