PANJIM: MGP has decided to file a disqualification petition against Manohar Azgaonkar and Deepak Pawaskar claiming that the split and merger with BJP was not as per legal provisions.
MGP, an ally in the BJP-led coalition government, has accused its partners of ‘backstabbing’ and ‘using’ regional parties for political gains.
Speaking to media persons after an emergency central committee meeting on Wednesday, MGP president Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavalikar said the party is working on filing a disqualification petition against the two MLAs. “We have sought details like the letters submitted by the two MLAs to Speaker of State Assembly under RTI. Our lawyers are working on filing the disqualification petition,” he said. He said the split engineered in the MGP was ‘illegal’ and would be challenged before the authorities.
Condemning BJP’s midnight act, Dhavalikar accused the party of backstabbing it. “BJP has proved that the party is not capable of winning seats on its own and hence first split two Congress MLAs and now two MGP,” he said.
He added that it is unfortunate that BJP has betrayed the trust of the party that has stood with it since 2012. “Our pre-poll alliance helped BJP win 21 seats in 2012. Again in 2017, despite BJP having no numbers, we extended support to them in forming the government. And now they betrayed our trust and backstabbed us. They used regional party for their own political gains,” he said.
Responding to a question, Dhavalikar said the party is yet to take a call on withdrawing its support to the BJP-led coalition government. He claimed that national parties like BJP are a threat to regional parties that now need to stand united and rise up. “It is a wake-up call for regional parties,” he said.
The MGP president said that party leaders, workers and voter base is intact and urged party workers not to panic.
