Team Herald
PANJIM: Hailing from a small village of Parra in Mapusa town,
Manohar Parrikar’s journey from being a mere pracharak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS) to political stalwart has been an inspiration for many in the
politically volatile small State of Goa.
From the active role as mukhya shikshak (chief instructor) of RSS
while studying final years of his schooling to Chief Minister of Goa in 2000
and then being elevated as Defence Minister of India in Narendra Modi-led
cabinet in 2014; later returning back to State politics as Chief Minister in
2017, Parrikar’s two and half decade long political career came to grinding
halt due to sudden illness.
Parrikar, 63, has served the State four times as the Chief
Minister right from the year 2000 till date while he also had a three-year-long
tenure as Union Defence Minister.
Born on December 13, 1955, Parrikar’s political career began as a
RSS pracharak and continued working for Sangh even after graduating from
IIT-Bombay as Metallurgical Engineer.
His plunge into politics through BJP is considered as an attempt
by the party to curb the growth of state’s oldest regional political outfit –
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party who had formed the government from the time of
liberation till 1980.
Parrikar’s plunge into the electoral politics began in the year
1994 when he won on BJP ticket from Panjim constituency.
He was leader of the Opposition from June to November 1999
representing BJP and was known for his exposes against then Congress-led
government.
He became Chief Minister of Goa for the first time on October 24, 2000,
but his tenure lasted only until February 27, 2002. On June 5, 2002, he was
re-elected and served another term as Chief Minister.
On January 29, 2005, his government was reduced to a minority in
the Assembly after four BJP MLAs resigned from the House.
But the year 2012 saw Parrikar riding a popularity wave in the
State when he took his party to the historic number of 21 out of 40 seats in
the State Legislative Assembly. The main plank of illegal mining activity and
anti-corruption helped the party to percolate to the masses in a big way.
He went on to become the Chief Minister of the State. BJP
continued its victory mark in the year 2014 when the party won both the Lok
Sabha seats in 2014 General Elections.
When Narendra Modi-led government was sworn in the Centre,
Parrikar was offered to join Union Cabinet in the month of November 2014, which
he agreed to do, though reluctantly. He remained in the union cabinet till 2017
and returned back to take charge of the State when his party could not garner
majority in Goa legislative assembly polls.
With his spectacular political tactics, Parrikar managed to woo
alliance partners like Goa Forward Party and MGP to support him to form the
government.
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Political timeline
· 1994 elected as the Panjim MLA for the first time
· June to November 1999 elected as Leader of Opposition BJP
· First time Chief Minister – October 24, 2000 to February 27, 2002
· Chief Minister of Goa – from June 5, 2002 to February 2, 2005
· Leader of Opposition -June 14, 2005 to June 5, 2007
· Leader of Opposition June 19, 2007 to March 2012
· Chief Minister – March 2012 to November 2014
· Defence Minister of India – November 2014- March 2017
· Chief Minister of Goa- March 2017 till date
Major portfolios he held
Finance, Education, Mining, Industries, Infrastructure, Home, Vigilance, General Administration, Personnel
