Team Herald
PONDA: Rubbishing accusations that he lacks the ability to undertake developmental works in Ponda and much less to follow up the same, local MLA Lavoo Mamlatdar has said that he does not need publicity for the works accomplished by him as his constituents know the same.
“If the accusations of the Ponda BJP leaders are true, how is that I have undertaken and successfully completed developmental projects work over Rs 700 crore,” Mamlatdar wondered.
When asked whether he would resign as demanded by the local BJP leaders, Mamlatdar shot back saying the BJP-MGP alliance was strong; he was answerable only to his voters and that he would not resign on the demanding of someone to whom he is not accountable to.
Elaborating on his rationale for rejecting the demand for his resignation, Mamlatdar said, “The MGP-BJP alliance was formed, in the run-up to the 2012 election, by then BJP National president Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Parrikar, Narendra Savoikar, Shripad Naik, MGP leaders Sudin Davlikar and Deepak Davlikar. There is good coordination between the alliance partners at the top level. I am not answerable to the local leaders. I will resign if leaders like Nitin Gakari, Manohar Parrikar, Laxmikant Parsekar ask me to.”
Assigning reason for the local BJP leaders’ accusations and demand for his resignation, Mamlatdar said as long as the BJP-MGP alliance continues, no local BJP leader would get an opportunity to contest the Assembly elections from Ponda constituency. For this reason, “they are trying to malign my image and break up the alliance,” he said.
Mamlatdar said that the local BJP leaders were falsely accusing him of not taking up developmental works, with the false hope of winning over the electorate towards them.
Rubbishing allegations that he blocked the works undertaken by the local municipality, Mamlatdar challenged the Ponda Municipal Council Chairperson, Radhika Naik, to prove her allegations on the same.
On the contrary, “The local BJP leaders tried to bring obstacles to the developmental works initiated by me, but as an MLA, I did not attempt to halt any project, including the golden jubilee projects, undertaken by the PMC,” the MLA said.
Alleging corruption in the grant of Sopo contract by the PMC, Mamlatdar said if the chief minister ordered an investigation into the affair, the fraud would come out.
Denying that he had anything to do with the burning of Narendra Savoikar’s effigy, Mamlatdar said the act was done by the “Marathi lovers.”
