Team Herald
PANJIM: Stating that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has been ailing since February, should have retired from politics with dignity, Shiv Sena on Wednesday accused BJP of being responsible for the current political situation in Goa.
Sena, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, has accused BJP of insulting democracy by forming the government despite being short of a majority. It also alleged that the alliance partners – Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP) – were trying to destabilise the government, as leaders of these parties were vying for the top post in the State in the absence of the chief minister, who is currently being hospitalised.
“The health condition of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has deteriorated. We wish him a speedy recovery. Parrikar is a popular leader in Goa and the news of his health has created anxiety among the people of the State,” Sena said in the editorial.
“Some of his cabinet colleagues are also unwell. So it is as if the entire Goa cabinet is in the ICU. Goa has become a leaderless State and the administration is not able to function. All this has led to political instability, which is not good for the State,” it added.
The Sena said that Parrikar could have retired with dignity, but the BJP does not have a clean leader in Goa at present. Party said that the biggest mistake of the BJP was to send back Parrikar, the then Defence Minister, to Goa to lead the State
“Now there is chaos and political instability in the State. Had Parrikar been kept in Delhi and some other arrangement been made in Goa, then the BJP would not have faced today’s political crisis. The BJP is solely responsible for this situation,” the Sena added.
The party recalled that BJP had no clear mandate in the 2017 Assembly elections. “In the 40-member Assembly, the BJP won only 14 seats. Although the Congress and the NCP together won 17 seats, the delay in government formation on their part gave time to the BJP for horse-trading. The BJP sought support of MGP and GFP and formed the government,” it said.
“It should be noted that MGP and GFP had fought the State polls against the BJP. Now these are the same people who are destabilising the Goa government. MGP leader (Sudin) Dhavalikar and GFP’s (Vijai) Sardesai want to become the CM,” Sena said.
