PANJIM: The official invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still awaited, but the BJP has asked Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to pack his bags and take the flight to Delhi.
Returning to Goa from Delhi on Thursday, Parrikar said he has been directed by the BJP high command to accept any assignment that Prime Minister would offer him.
Indicating that he is set to become part of the Modi Cabinet on Sunday, Parrikar said the decision to leave Goa and go to the Centre “would be disturbing,” and admitted that he would leave the State with mixed emotions.
In all likelihood, India’s next Defence Minister will be Manohar Prabhu Parrikar, a boy from Parra, in North Goa.
According to some of those who met him including an MLA who had a 10 minute one-on-one with the outgoing Chief Minister, “he was weeping, saying that this was forced upon him but he had to say yes to a job that involved serving the nation”.
“The party has indicated to me that if such an assignment comes I should accept it. BJP President Amit Shah talked to me in the morning (Thursday) and asked me to accept any assignment that is given to me by the Prime Minister. The second part is the prerogative of the Prime Minister and therefore I would not like to comment on this,” the Chief Minister told a crowded press conference. He said that the party had asked him to start preparing to leave the State.
Parrikar is likely to resign as Chief Minister on Saturday, before his successor is sworn in. The name of the State’s new Chief Minister will be decided by the BJP parliamentary board, which will also decide on Parrikar’s route to Parliament. He can either choose to fight a Lok Sabha election battle or take the safer route of the Rajya Sabha. It is learnt that the Lucknow Rajya Sabha seat is being kept in readiness for him.
Sources said there are at least two serious contenders for the Chief Minister’s post. The front runners are Speaker Rajendra Arlekar and Health Minister Laximikant Parsekar. Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza is very distant and increasingly fading dark horse. However, Rajendra Arlekar seems to have Parrikar’s backing but the shadow of the disproportionate assets case against him could cloud his chances.
Parrikar, however, refused to confirm any of this saying that he had got the call from Amit Shah only Thursday morning and that there was no time to discuss anything else.
“I will be meeting with them (MLAs) tomorrow. I got back from Delhi two hours ago. It (the decision) is left to the local party leadership, local MLAs and parliamentary board,” he said. He added, “Party has still not considered the issue. Before that there have been no discussions.”
When asked if Union Tourism Minister Shripad Naik is a contender, Parrikar said, “He is a minister there. You are bringing things into frame that are out of the frame,” dismissing him as a candidate for the position.
The Parliamentary Board of the BJP will meet on November 8.
Saying that he would always be available to the local leadership, he said “Whatever guidance is required, it is available when needed.”
On selection of a new leader, when he was asked whether seniority was going to play a part or it would be performance based, he said, “There are so many issues that will go into deciding. The first issue will be capability in handling and the capability in taking everyone (along). It is a party assessment,” he said.
