HERALD: What according to you are the prospects of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming elections?
SADANAND SHET TANAVADE: Without an iota of doubt, BJP will once again form the government in Goa. We will come back to power for the third consecutive time.
H: Are you saying this based on the response from the people as the party has commenced its pre-poll campaign by starting constituency visits?
SST: It is not a pre-poll campaign. We began with the drive to feel the pulse of the people since the opposition has created an impression that BJP has no support. Our ongoing drive is a reply to the opposition’s perception about the present scenario. Same modus operandi was used during the Zilla Panchayat polls but the results were a big blow to the opposition’s agenda. In our ongoing constituency tour, we are getting massive support from the people. So far, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and myself have covered 18 constituencies. After a short break due to Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, we will resume the tour next week. CM is most likely to take along with him officers to solve issues which can be done on the spot such as correction in name, ration card related matters, etc.
H: Why is that instead of the CM, you had to campaign in his constituency while the CM started with another constituency?
SST: CM wanted people to speak up openly with me, without any hesitation or obstruction. He did come to welcome me before I began the tour and later returned to his routine duty. This also implies that he has faith in me. At the end of the day, he joined our core team’s discussion post midnight to assess the situation. In fact, after every constituency meet we hold a discussion with the respective core teams.
H: After an absolute majority in 2012, BJP’s seats dropped in 2017. Do you expect the party to see a jump this time?
SST: In 2017, we won 13 seats from the 21 we had won in 2012. But soon many interested candidates, who won seats on other party tickets joined hands with us to form the government. We climbed to 27 seats. I am 100 per cent certain that BJP will win an absolute majority. Our karyakartas are working round the clock to ensure our win, as well as the response from the people is encouraging.
H: Many sitting and ex-MLAs have expressed their desire to contest on the BJP ticket. Will the party consider this ‘appeal’ or will other factors count at the time of ticket allocation?
SST: Everyone has the right to express in a democracy. We are a party, which is ruling at the Centre and the State and going strong. There was a time when we would forcibly give tickets but now, BJP has seen many contenders, many feel they should get the BJP ticket. I would like to emphasise that BJP has a separate procedure and we follow it strictly. The party at the national level and the state level will conduct separate surveys on the probable candidates and submit its reports to the Parliamentary Board for a final decision. The winnability factor, loyalty towards the party and the people’s support, etc are considered by the party. We have to win the elections.
H: How will the party tackle rebellion?
SST: This is democracy. We cannot stop anybody (from leaving) but each one should also realise that BJP is ruling at Centre and the State. At the same time, I am confident that everyone is attached to the party. In BJP, we don’t distinguish between juniors and seniors. All are embraced into the party fold equally. We are a powerful party and set to retain power in the coming 2022 elections as well.
H: Is the party ready for an alliance?
SST: We will go solo and win the elections too.
H: Have you considered contesting the upcoming Assembly polls?
SST: No. My duty and responsibility is to ensure that BJP retains power, and the party’s organisational structure is strong as ever.
H: What will be the main election issue that the BJP will take to the people?
SST: BJP has executed numerous developmental works and in the coming days Mopa international airport, National Highway and Zuari Bridge will be inaugurated. Regarding employment generation, our government has laid emphasis on securing jobs in the private sector as well. The current term has been quite challenging with two unforeseen developments – death of then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite all this, our government has managed to provide assistance, including financial help, to the needy sectors. There will be people who will criticise but the fact remains that BJP has successfully carried out works for the people at large in Goa and across the country.
H: Do you think that the closure of mining and the steep price hike will be crucial issues during the upcoming elections.
SST: We will face these questions. Goa government is committed to resuming mining and we are happy that The Goa Mining Corporation Bill has received the assent of Goa Governor PS Sreedharan. We will restart mining before the 2022 elections. On the rising prices, the Centre is working out a solution to bring relief. The crisis is due to COVID-19 but BJP governments at the Centre and States are doing every bit to ensure people are not facing problems. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and various schemes have been introduced during this period to bring relief to the people.
