Team Herald
PANJIM: In a major jolt for the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and by-polls in four Assembly constituencies, its coalition partner MGP has decided to back the Congress candidates in the parliamentary elections.
“After taking views/suggestions from the samittee, karyakartas, office bearers and supporters, the central committee has decided that MGP will support the Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha,” the party’s working president Narayan Sawant said after a meeting held at the party office on Thursday.
This could alter the political equations in the State, as though it is backing Congress in the polls, MGP has not yet withdrawn support to the BJP-led government.
The distance between the two parties stems from the differences that have arisen in recent weeks after the regional party’s legislative wing split and two MLAs merged with the national party last month. This was followed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant sacking MGP’s Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar as Deputy CM and dropping him from the cabinet.
Sawant admitted that one of the reasons for the decision was the manner in which the BJP ousted its senior leader from the cabinet and other recent developments that upset the party workers.
The MGP had earlier announced its support to Congress candidate Sudhir Kandolkar in Mapusa for the by-polls there, but is yet to decide its stand in Mandrem. The party has fielded its candidate Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavlikar in Shiroda for the by-election.
Deputy CM Vijai Sardesai, whose Goa Forward Party is in alliance with BJP, declined to comment stating, “I have no say in MGP supporting someone because I am neither MGP nor Congress.”
