MGP office-bearer against pre-poll tie up with BJP

Panaji, Jul 11: A senior functionary of ruling BJP's alliance partner MGP has opposed forging any pre-poll ties with the saffron party for the 2017-Assembly elections claiming "betrayal and humiliation," days after BJP leader and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar announced his party's intention to sew up such alliance. "Majority of MGP members feel that we should not have pre-poll alliance with BJP.

We should contest on our own and they on their (own). After the elections, if BJP falls short of majority and need our support (then) we can consider it (by) imposing certain conditions," MGP Treasurer and senior office-bearer Apa Teli told reporters here today.

He said Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which had entered into pre-poll alliance with BJP during 2012 elections, was "betrayed" by the saffron party during last four-and-half years.

MGP, Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese colonial rule in 1961, currently has three members in the 40-member Legislative Assembly. The party has two ministers in the Laxmikant Parsekar-led cabinet. "Post-2012 polls, the BJP ignored MGP. None of the MGP member was accommodated in any of the state run corporations.

BJP humiliated our party. Our Ponda MLA Lavu Mamlatdar was undermined in his own constituency by the BJP cadre," said Teli, a retired police officer. He said the BJP has "humiliated" MGP president Dipak Dhavalikar by giving him portfolios with lesser importance.

Responding to a query whether going solo will cause division of votes, Teli said his party will support BJP candidates where MGP nominees are not in fray. "MGP has been working in 26 constituencies. We can pull majority on our own too. But if we have pre-poll alliance with BJP, we will have to sacrifice our own constituencies for them," he said.

PTI