PONDA: The recent loss of the South Goa Lok Sabha seat has sparked controversy within the BJP ranks, particularly in Marcaim. Power Minister Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar’s statement attributing the defeat to a lack of effort from some BJP workers has upset the local BJP Mandal. They have called for Dhavalikar’s removal from the Cabinet, accusing him of undermining the hard work of BJP workers.
Dhavalikar recently told reporters that he did not believe BJP’s loss of the South Goa LS seat was due to the polarising influence of Catholic priests in the district, but because some party workers failed to achieve their targets. Later, he rescinded his statement and said he meant the workers of his own party, MGP, had failed to deliver.
Sudesh Bhingi, who contested the last Assembly election against Dhavalikar, criticised the Minister for his comments. “All BJP workers at the grassroots level as well as leaders like Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Party President Sadanand Tanavade, worked very hard on the South Goa campaign,” he said, condemning Dhavalikar’s suggestion that BJP workers fell short. Bhingi demanded Dhavalikar’s removal from his ministerial portfolio.
The Marcaim BJP Mandal has also echoed this sentiment, urging CM Sawant to sack him from the Cabinet. “Dhavalikar was with Congress leader Francis Sardinha during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Marcaim BJP workers had given a lead of 10,681 votes to the BJP, compared to 9,448 votes for Congress back then. However, in the 2024 election, Dhavalikar failed to deliver the expected lead for the BJP, despite being part of the BJP government,” he said. BJP secured 14,722 votes from Marcaim, falling short of the anticipated 17,963 votes.
Another senior party worker, Santosh Ramanthkar, questioned Dhavalikar’s statement and asked for clarification on the meaning behind his comments about religious leaders and party workers. Ramanthkar pointed out the discrepancy in expected votes, pointing out that in the 2022 Assembly election, BJP polled 4,000 votes and MGP’s Dhavalikar secured 13,963 votes. The combined expectation for the 2024 Lok Sabha poll from Marcaim was 17,963 votes, but the actual count was less, contributing to the dissatisfaction among BJP members.
