Victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the February 4 assembly polls is what chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar is looking at. He may not have been declared as the party’s chief ministerial candidate, but is quite confident that he will be the choice for the CM post.
Normally, the BJP announces the incumbent chief minister as the chief ministerial candidate for the polls. Why hasn’t BJP done this in your case this time. You have been the CM since November 2014 and your party has highlighted your achievements as that of a good performer.
I don't know why, but I don't think there is need to do so. I will not insist. I’ve never even enquired about it. I don't like to project myself as the CM candidate. It gives me satisfaction that people are looking at me as the chief ministerial candidate. Two years ago the situation was different. Now my colleagues know me better. I am quite comfortable. But, frankly speaking, I am not insisting that I should be CM again.
How many new faces will your part field in the February 4 polls?
At least 15.
The state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar said three MLAs will be denied nomination. How many according to you will be denied nomination?
Yes, he made a statement. I don’t wish to comment on it.
Recently you described former Goa state
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Subhash Velingkar as a father figure, even at the time when he is aligning with the
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
(MGP) to defeat the BJP in the polls.
Yes, he was a father figure to many of us. He commanded respect and did not demand for it, especially from a person like me. Unfortunately, things went too far and it became impossible for us to reverse the situation. Even now I have no bad feelings for him. He has damaged our image more than MGP has.
But, from that episode, without our effort, a good message went to the people, especially to the minorities, that though Velingkar was with us for long, we didn’t give in to his demand (over grants to English-medium schools). I feel a signal went out to the minorities that they are safe in the hands of the BJP in Goa. We believe in sabka sat, sabka vikas.
He took a hard stand damaging the BJP possibly because some of your MLAs and leaders were closely associated with him and he felt they would join him.
Maybe
Goa Suraksha Manch, the political outfit of the
Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch
, of which Velinkar is the convenor, may damage BJP’s prospects in some constituencies. Comment.
No. Not even in one constituency. Where are your strongholds – Mandrem, Panaji, and where? Attracting big crowds for oratorship cannot give us votes. Vajpayeeji’s and Advaniji’s meetings used to attract thousands, but we couldn’t cross 300 votes in the 80s.
People are with us. We have implemented various schemes with no discrimination. Griha Adhar and other schemes have touched the hearts of women. We have brought in infrastructural projects – bridges, sewerage, road widening, water improvement, etc. Our Deendayal health insurance scheme is very popular. The sand mining issue was resolved. Land acquisition policy was brought in. There are several other decisions we have undertaken.
Did any Church representative meet you to discuss the MOI policy?
No. We never discussed anything like that. We have not discussed any politics with the Church or with the archbishop, ever.
He (Velingkar) says that six candidates were given by the archbishop to the BJP in 2012. It’s like a joke (laughs). Does politics run that way.
There are apprehensions about the MoI policy, especially with regard to grants. Will the policy of grants remain the same if BJP comes to power after the polls?
Yes, as it is today.
Our policy has been well accepted by society. It is accepted by our higher ups also. And even by the RSS. Otherwise why was he (Velingkar) removed from the post.
Admitting Cumbharjua (Congress) MLA Pandurang Madkaikar into your party at a time when BJP leaders said they would win 26 seats, gave the impression that BJP is on a weaker wicket.
Why? It’s a question of we going from being strong to stronger. Secondly, if a person from a lower strata wants to join us, what’s wrong in we accepting him. Some says BJP is a high caste party. So if someone comes from the lower strata then we’ll welcome them. It helps us and the society.
You had said that after a year as CM you became bold enough to take decisions. But, bureaucrats say defence minister
Manohar Parrikar holds meetings on some important matters, with the latest instant being making Goa a cashless state.
He is doing a good job with election preparations. We accept each other without any problem or ego issues. We have our strengths and weaknesses.
On Thursday, your pre- and post-poll alliance partner for the 2012 polls - MGP - announced that they don’t want to have a tie-up with BJP for the February 4 polls. Last month, besides demanding that the BJP should replace you as the CM before alliance talks for the 2017 polls, their leaders had criticised the government on several counts and ultimately you dropped the Dhavalikar brothers from the cabinet. When it was expected that the BJP would say no to the alliance with MGP for the ensuing polls, why did your party say its “windows are open” to them. Was it a case of you’ll being more interested in continuing with the alliance?
Why? In politics nothing can be said. We were partners for five years.
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