HCN: Do you feel alone and left out by the party? Do you feel frustrated?
Francis D Souza: Nobody is bothered about my frustration. I have no clue about that. I work the full day. The question of being lonely doesn’t arise as I am never lonely. I keep working. I don’t know who feels I am lonely. I hold the same importance in the rank of the party. I hold the same attachment within the party and outside. I don’t have to create my position.
HCN: You were a hot contender for the chief minister’s post after Manohar Parrikar. But suddenly Laxmikant Parsekar was named for the top job.
FDS: There was a lot of talk about me being in contention. But when there was a meeting of the party workers and central observers, it was made clear that I was not in a position to take over the Chief Minister’s post and I accepted it.
HCN: But you had claimed that most of the party workers backed you for the post.
FDS: I thought it was like that. But when central observers told me point blank that I don’t enjoy a majority support, I had to accept it.
HCN: Do you feel cheated?
FDS: It was not a question of being cheated. There could be a situation where a member is supporting me, but at the same time he is listening to the high command on priority. I thought the same procedure would follow when we chose Manohar Parrikar. But this time a different route was taken of talking to individual MLA’s
HCN: Don’t you feel that they had Parsekar in mind, that’s why they had individual consultations?
FDS:there are many probabilities. They can be true and false. It’s all a matter of interpretation. I can’t sit with that, I don’t have that much time.
HCN: : And in hindsight, are you still hurt somewhere?
FDS:I have to accept certain decisions, whether I like them or not and then I have to move on. Personally one feels bad sometimes, but having said that, we can’t sit with issues. Babush is not important. Party comes first. For that some sacrifices are also required.
HCN: Do you feel you would have been a better chief minister?
FDS: Everyone feels important. But this may not be right in the party perception. I don’t know. Time would tell. It’s for the people to give a judgement.
HCN: There is an indication that the party has kept you aside. Is this true or false?
FDS:The decision on Chief Ministership is arrived at by the party observers, I don’t blame my MLA’s
HCN: As the tussle for Chief Ministership was hotting up, what was the deal that was sealed?
FDS: When the observers announced that Parsekar would be my leader and he has emerged as the successor to Parrikar, I accepted that and the issue ended there.
HCN: You had clearly indicated that you would not work under a junior leader. Is Parsekar senior or junior to you?
FDS:In some ways he is a senior, but as political experience is concerned he is junior to me.
HCN: You could have protested and could have not accepted the Dy CM’s post
FDS: The Deputy CM is not a constitutional post. It’s an ornamental post and holds no meaning. There are no special perks involved too. I haven’t asked for specific portfolios. They are decided after an interaction by the Chief Minister with all his ministers.
HCN: How would you rate the Chief Minister’s performance?
FDS:We should give him time, at least six months. It’s not an easy job. He has started off well, but is still to pick up pace. There is a lot to deliver as time is a constraint keeping the next elections in mind. Every individual has his own speciality. He is doing it his way. I am okay with his style of functioning. Everyone can challenge the other’s capability. Parrikar was better at micro economics. How to get his finances together. We’ll wait and watch Parsekar’s functioning.
HCN: Parrikar or Parsekar. Whom you would rate as a better CM?
FDS: Parrikar has taken his time. Parsekar has just started. Parrikar had experience to his side, a five time MLA, former CM, besides a leader of opposition.
HCN: There were reports that you were being considered for the Rajasthan’s governor’s post.
FDS:I don’t know from where this rumour came from. The party has not informed me. I haven’t heard this from any party worker also. I don’t know from where this originated. There is no offer like this. And there is no question of such an offer. I am given a mandate by the people for five years. You can’t compare Parrikar’s elevation to Defence minister to a Governor’s posting outside the state.
HCN: What if you are offered a Governor’s post, against the backdrop that you have come on record and said that you’ll prefer to take retirement.
FDS:I’ll have to ask my workers. If my people tell me to move, I’ll go. I have no time to stay idle. But having said that, I also have hobbies of gardening. I made the retirement statement visa vis the number of years of active politics that one puts in. One has to take an individual call on when one should retire. If my workers feel, Ill contest the 2017 elections.
HCN: coming to 2017 elections, do you feel that BJP, like the previous election, should announce its chief ministerial candidate and go to polls or should they decide on it post poll?
FDS: I feel the chief minister should be decided by the elected MLAs. The procedure is like that. Consider a case where the party projects a chief ministerial candidate who doesn’t find favour with the electorate and loses election? With Parrikar we could take a risk considering his stature as a tall leader. There was nobody who could challenge him.
HCN: do you mean to say that BJP doesn’t have a leader of the stature of Parrikar to be projected as a chief ministerial face for the next election?
FDS: Why not. Parsekar can be the Chief Minister, so can Arlekar. (Speaker rjendra Arlekar) But the preferred path would be to choose a Chief Minister post election. Party MLAs should choose in a free and fair process.
HCN: there are reports that all is not well with your alliance partner MGP.
FDS:There are always problems with alliance partners. Not a big issue. It is the capacity of the leader to keep his flock together. My leader is new. Let’s wait and watch. I personally feel that alliance with MGP should be kept for the next election. Having said that, if the party decides, a friendly contest can be tested at the zilla level.
