Team Herald
PONDA: The animosity between BJP and MGP continues to gain strength as the two parties locked horns as they both campaigned in Shiroda for the by-poll and Lok Sabha seat.
While MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar claimed BJP will have no place in Goan politics after the elections, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant accused the Dhavalikar brothers of selling MGP with a reference to the regional party to support Congress in the Lok Sabha polls.
Sudin said it was MGP that had brought BJP in Goan political as an alliance partner and that BJP would not have been able to come to power without the support of MGP, reiterating his point that MGP has always helped the BJP and without it support BJP is likely to flounder.
At the meeting held at Shirshirem Borim, Sudin, who was campaigning for MGP’s Shiroda by-poll candidate Deepak Dhavalikar, criticised BJP heavily for its act of betrayal and added that such actions will only destroy the BJP.
He further pointed out to BJP claiming it had membership of over four lakh and said if that is the case, then why the party did not get a majority in the previous Assembly elections to form the government and why it had to rely on taking away MLAs from MGP and Congress.
“CM Sawant should speak the truth. He calls himself ‘Chowkidar’ but a ‘Chowkidar’ never commits dacoity. He should then answer why he took away two MGP MLAs into BJP at midnight, “said Sudin
On the other hand, BJP has brought CM Sawant, party president Vinay Tendulkar and even alliance partner, independent candidate Govind Gaude to campaign for the victory of its candidate Subhash Shirodkar. At their corner meeting, Sawant, attacked the Dhavalikar brothers for selling their party to Congress for their personal interest and criticised former PWD Minister Sudin, for failing to provide 24/7 water supply despite holding the portfolio for so many years.
With the battle for Shiroda turning out to be a matter of prestige for BJP and MGP, political pundits feel Congress’s candidate Mahadev Naik would benefit from the split of votes and given that MGP is supporting Congress in the LS polls, they expect MGP to train its guns only on BJP in Shiroda.
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Not joining BJP, want to teach Dhavalikars a lesson: Lavoo
PANJIM: A day after he was seen campaigning for BJP’s Shiroda candidate, former MGP general secretary Lavoo Mamledar rejected rumours of joining BJP.
Mamledar was expelled from MGP after he sent a letter to the Chief Secretary, Speaker and Governor, asking them not to consider any letter from MGP unless signed by the general secretary.
Addressing a press conference, Mamledar said he will stay with MGP until Dhavalikars are removed from the party. “I am not joining BJP. I want to stay here and see to it that Dhavalikars are removed from the party as it is a party of Bhausaheb Bandodkar and not any family. The Dhavalikar brothers have made it maazhya gharachi party (my family party),” he said.
Further, he said Deepak has committed almost 36 illegalities being at the hem of MGP.
“MGP is responsible for forcing two by-polls on Panjimites as it was Dhavalikar’s letter, which said the support is given to BJP only if (late) Parrikar becomes the CM,” he said.
Further, Mamledar questioned why the MGP had not withdrawn support to the State government even after Sudin was dropped from ministry.
“They are doing everything against government except withdrawing support because they know BJP will come back to power at the Centre and will win Assembly by-polls here and hence they will somehow convince the Chief Minister and try to make a comeback,” he said.
