Goa: BJP to support Mathanhy Saldanha, Nirmala

Panaji, May 12: The BJP, which will contest 32 Goa assembly seats on its own, has decided to extend ''unqualified support'' to disqualified UGDP legislator Mathanhy Saldanha, who is recontesting from Cortalim, and Congress rebel Nirmala Sawant from Cumbarjua.

''The BJP State Election Committee will take a final decision on extending support to other candidates on Monday, now that the party has announced its own list of 32 nominees,'' BJP leader Manohar Parrikar told mediapersons here today.

Mr Saldanha, incidentally, had played a crucial role when the Parrikar government was in crisis, following the resignation of five ministers from his Cabinet that led to the BJP government's fall in 2004.

Mr Saldanha had announced his unconditional support to Mr Parrikar that cost him his membership of the state assembly later.

He maintained that he did not like to be a ''turncoat'' and stood for principles and morals.

Former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president and minister Nirmala Sawant had quit the Congress and unsuccesfully contested the Cumbarjua byelections against her arch rival Transport Minister Pandurang Madkaikar who had left the BJP government and joined hands with the Congress.

Meanwhile, Mr L K Advani will launch the BJP campaign from Panaji on May 20. The campaign launch was to be held earlier but had to be postponed in view of the elections to village sarpanches the previous day.

Meanwhile, replying to a query on the Congress demand for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in infrastructure development during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2004, Mr Parrikar quipped, ''It is a political stunt on the eve of the elections.''

UNI