TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Vijay Pai Khot finally tendered his resignation as an MLA to Speaker Pratapsing Rane on Friday afternoon claiming he was not taken into confidence by BJP while finalising the candidature of Ramesh Tawadkar for Canacona.
Speaking to media after putting in his papers Khot said “the party had not taken me into confidence while giving the ticket to Tawadkar”.
For over a year, the Canacona MLA was hobnobbing with Chief Minister Digambar Kamat with rumours flying thick and fast that he would quit BJP to contest on a Congress ticket in Canacona.
Khot was left without a constituency after Canacona was amalgamated with Poinguinim under the new delimitation.
Khot also said it was people’s wish that he should quit and declined to reveal his future plans.
Though he claimed that he not was taken into confidence by the party, he said he did not blame any BJP leader. “I’m not holding anyone personally responsible but blaming party as a whole”, he said.
BJP State President Laxmikant Parsekar when contacted said, Khot’s exit was not a big issue and was expected. “Though he was with us during the last one year his heart was elsewhere”, he said without expressing any shock or surprise.
Rejecting claims that Khot’s leaving them would impact BJP’s chances in Canacona, Parsekar said “BJP’s prospects in Canacona are very much bright”.
Khot is the third BJP MLA to quit the party in the last six months.
BJP State President claimed that though Khot was left without a constituency he was told by party bosses that he would be compensated if BJP was elected to power.
