PANJIM: Extending support to the BJP Rajya Sabha candidate, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) on Saturday decided to contest both the Lok Sabha seats in 2019. However, the party also resolved not to contest the by-polls in Panjim and Valpoi.
“Our party will support BJP’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections. We have given the charge and permission to all our three MLAs in the meeting today to support the BJP candidate. We have also resolved not to contest Panjim and Valpoi by-polls in the interest of the stability of the government but have decided to support BJP in the by-elections,” MGP President Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavalikar said after the party’s central committee meeting.
“However, MGP will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on its own, independently. Both the candidates will contest on the MGP symbol. We got positive response from the members in today’s meeting and therefore it has been decided that MGP will contest the Lok Sabha polls in 2019. Similarly if there are any more vacancies in the Goa Assembly, MGP will definitely eye the constituencies and field candidates,” Dhavalikar said.
Speaking on MGP’s performance in the February elections, Dhavalikar said, “MGP suffered due to its alliance with GSM and Shiv Sena. We just got 11 percent votes. We would have got 20 percent if we had not gone for an alliance.”
Asked about his view on the statement made by Sadhvi Saraswati that those who eat beef should be hanged in public, Dhavlikar said political parties have nothing to do with the statement.
The MGP President also said that attempts will be made to get back the two lost seats. “We will make all attempts to bring back the lost seats and work on it has already started. Our PWD Minister also has spoken to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to consider some of the portfolios to our MLAs and we are sure that it will be considered,” he added.
Dhavalikar clarified that the central committee did not discuss supporting the Congress stating that his party has given its word to the BJP and will support the alliance till the end of the term. “We are a party of words and we will continue to support the BJP till the end of the term, just like we did the last time. The people of Goa want a stable and a development-oriented government,” Dhavlikar added.
MGP with three seats is a partner in the BJP-led coalition government formed in March this year.
