Team Herald
PONDA: MGP President Deepak Dhavalikar in a show of strength held a massive rally of his supporters in Shiroda on Sunday.
Keen on returning to the state assembly, Deepak showed his intention to contest the upcoming bypoll elections from Shiroda constituency. This comes against the backdrop of MGP’s plans to possibly contest all three bypolls including Mandrem and Mapusa.
It is to be noted that that the MPG president had begun campaigning in Shiroda a month and a half ago. He has even completed one round of door to door campaigning.
While his rally coincided with the day the Election Commission of India announced the Lok Sabha (LS) election dates, this campaign is likely to impact MGPs relationship with the BJP-led state government as its alliance partner and more importantly, Deepak could be contesting against the BJP candidate for Shiroda. It may be recalled that the former Shiroda MLA Subhash Shirodkar had resigned from the Congress party and had joined the BJP party.
At the launch of the rally, Deepak said that he wants to teach a lesson to defectors. He further predicted that he could win with the seat comfortably with a margin of around 15,000 votes
It may be recalled that MGP’s decision with regard to Shiroda has become a bone of contention with the BJP and the government’s other alliance partner Goa Forward (GF), as there is a fear that it could lead to instability in the state government.
Sources pointed out that the BJP President Vinay Tendulkar is hopeful that BJP will manage to persuade MGP President Deepak Dhavlikar not to contest the Shiroda by poll and instead support BJP. However, sources added that the MGP seems to be in no mood to listen to the BJP; or the criticism from Goa Forward, which has alleged that MGP’s decision would pave the way for Congress to win.
Reacting to this, Deepak rejected Goa Forward’s claims that MGP is going to make the government instable by contesting by polls of Mandrem and Shiroda. He further singled out GF leader and Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai stating that Sardesai is panicking as MGP’s importance and MLA strength likely to increase after the election result which he claimed would be in MGP’s favour. He alleged that that Goa Forward is also jealous that MGP would become the second biggest party in the coalition government.
From a larger point of view, MGP’s move has led to speculation with various opinions doing the rounds about the real story behind-the-scenes.
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POLITICAL PUNDITS RAISE QUESTIONS
Political pundits refer to past experience where MGP has supported the BJP in previous LS elections and wonder if there will be a scenario where Deepak will withdraw from the bypoll at the last moment and support the BJP. The fact that both parties are like- minded on several issues suggests that this could happen but it remains to be seen how MGP will use this as leverage.
Political pundits also point out that MGP was also addressing fears that its MLAS would defect and join the BJP and that Deepak is not ready to compromise on issues unless BJP assures MGP that they would not take its MLAs and key party workers. Secondly the MGP is still sore over the fact that the BJP did not heed to their request for the Chief Minister’s charge to be handed over to PWD minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar given the CM’s ailing condition.
There is another opinion that suggests that MGP wants to grow by increasing its tally and become the second largest party; and could still support the BJP for the LS elections and would in turn expect the BJP’s support for the the bypoll elections.
