PANJIM: Allaying rumours about alleged differences between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) over seat sharing for the March 18 Zilla Panchayat elections, the BJP formally announced the seat allocation among the allies, with the MGP, Goa Vikas Party and two Independents sharing the dais during a press briefing, Friday.
BJP grabbed a major chunk of the total 50 seats by allotting itself 23 seats in the north Goa district and 11 in the south, whereas MGP has been given two seats in the north and seven in the south district respectively. The GVP was given five seats, and two were allotted to Independents, all of which fall within south Goa district.
The Dhavalikar brothers – Ramkrishna (Sudin) and Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavalikar, GVP legislator Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco, Independents Avertano Furtado and Benjamin Silva shared the dais with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and BJP State Unit Chief Vinay Tendulkar besides other BJP politicians.
Parsekar asserted there are no differences among its allies, all of who had vouched for political stability. “We want political stability even as it does exist. But we have to show this stability to our investors,” he said while replying to a media query and counter questioned what more proof did it (media) want on the ‘unity’.
Parsekar further claimed that they would win the ZP polls while linking it with the impending 2017 State Assembly elections, stating the government-led alliance will taste victory yet again. “We are all working jointly. Similarly, our manifesto for the ZP elections will be prepared taking into confidence all the allies,”
he added.
Pacheco said that the alliance between his GVP and the BJP will be taken further.
Speaking on the sidelines of the press conference, Ramkrishna confirmed they have no grudge over the reduction in the seats as against their earlier demand of 19 seats. “We all have to keep aside egos and work towards development,” he opined. Later in the evening MGP, however, said that another meeting to discuss the seat sharing was scheduled on Saturday.
Interestingly, St Andre MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh, who is always at loggerheads with his party, also shared the dais along with South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, Panaji MLA Sidharth Kuncalienker, Sankhali MLA Dr Pramod Sawant and BJP Vice President Dr Wilfred Mesquita. Deputy CM
Francis D’Souza joined the briefing later.
