Team Herald
PANJIM: The possibility of a BJP-MGP rapprochement and subsequent alliance nearly vanished on Thursday when Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Goa desk in-charge, reportedly asked the Goa unit of the party to get ready fight elections in all 40 constituencies.
On Thursday, Gadkari evaded questions from media persons on whether the BJP would go to the polls in alliance with MGP. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar at that time.
When contacted, State BJP President Vinay Tendulkar confirmed that Gadkari, who reviewed the poll preparations, did not discuss alliance matters. Tendulkar said, “Gadkariji was very clear that if they (MGP) don’t want to hold talks, why should we show any interest.”
During his visit to Goa in October, Gadkari had announced that BJP-MGP would go to the polls in alliance. Gadkari had even met with MGP leader Ramakrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar on the alliance issue during that visit.
The alliance partners first fell out over the Bicholim and Dabolim seats, as both staked claim over these constituencies. The situation worsened when the Dhavalikar brothers publicly stated that talks on alliance would be held only if Parsekar is replaced. The Dhavalikar brothers, who were Ministers in the Parsekar cabinet, accused the chief minister of taking Goa ten years back. Both were sacked from the Cabinet on December 12.
