Team Herald
PANJIM: Vijay Gaonkar (Valpoi), Jagdish Bhobe (St Andre), Dilip Naik (Fatorda) and Satyavijay Naik (Navelim) on Sunday joined the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and are likely to contest on the party ticket in the upcoming Goa Assembly elections.
It may be recalled that Vijay Gaonkar who was a prominent BJP worker and Usgao panch had quit the party, on December 31, claiming that he was disillusioned with the BJP since it had failed to bring all round development of Usgao and provide jobs to local youth during its five-year rule.
Jagdish Bhobe is the current Goa Velha sarpanch, Satyavijay Naik was the former BJP Navelim block president and Dilip Naik is a businessman and a social worker.
Addressing the media, Dhavalikar said, “There is a wave in Goa ahead of the Assembly elections with people moving towards MGP and it looks like people will vote for us in forming the next government.”
Dhavalikar further said former Independent MLA Naresh Sawal will join the party tomorrow and in the next two days, MGP will officially form an alliance with the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM).
“At present, 19 candidates are decided and the MGP parliamentary committee board would meet in the next two to three days to formally approve the candidates and announce the list,” Dhavalikar said.
Asked if he would be contesting from Priol constituency, Dhavalikar said, “It is official that I will fight elections from Priol and I am confident that I will win with a margin of 3,500 votes. It is a shame for BJP that being such a huge party, they aren’t in a position to find a candidate for Priol.”
On Mayem seat, Dhavalikar said, “We have given this constituency to Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) as per seat-sharing agreement and all MGP karyakartas will work with them in a bid to capture the seat. Taking a dig at the BJP and Congress, Dhavalikar said that people of Goa have seen both these parties’ work and know that they have failed to deliver and are hoping for a change.
Earlier, MGP had said it has given an in-principal approval to GSM and in the alliance MGP will contest on 22 seats, GSM on 9 and Shiv Sena on 4 seats.
