BJP on its own will win 27 of 40 seats in Goa: Shah at Panaji

Panaji:The results of 2017 Goa Assembly elections will lay the foundation of party’s victory in the 2019 general elections, BJP president Amit Shah said today.

“2017 is very important for the party. There are elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur and Goa. Through these elections we want to bring transformation in the country … We should be in power from panchayat to Parliament,” Shah said.

He was addressing a gathering of booth-level BJP workers near Panaji, kicking off the party’s campaign for Assembly.

“Results of Goa Assembly elections will lay foundation for party’s victory in 2019 Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Narendra Modi,” he said.

“If we win all the states in 2017, then no one can stop BJP’s victory in 2019 elections,” he said.

Shah expressed confidence that BJP on its own will win 27 seats (out of total 40) in Goa Assembly elections.

“Congress has lost in all the states in the recent past.

Now they are eyeing Goa … how will they win in Goa after losing in all the states,” the BJP president said, alleging that corruption to the tune of “Rs 12 lakh crore” took place during the Congress regime.

Responding to former union minister Kamal Nath’s criticism of the Prime Minister Modi’s foreign visits, Shah referred to Modi’s predecessor Manmohan Singh as “Maunibaba”.

“Even Maunibaba used to visit the foreign countries, but no one knew about them, not even the countries he was visiting. But when Modi travels abroad, thousands of people wait to receive him. The reception is not for Modi alone, it is for the BJP and citizens of this country,” Shah said.

“When Modi addressed the UN in Hindi, the country was proud of it,” he said.

Goa Cong will become weaker after next year’s polls: Parsekar

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today claimed that the strength of Congress in the state will reduce further after the Assembly elections next year.

“Congress, which had 17 seats before 2012 Assembly polls, was reduced to nine legislators after the elections. After they expelled one MLA, their strength was reduced to eight.

After 2017 elections their strength will be further reduced,” Parsekar claimed while addressing a booth-level BJP workers’ convention near here.

BJP president Amit Shah was present at the programme.

The Chief Minister claimed that some independent legislators are taking advantage of such “bad situation” of Congress in the state.

“They are talking of alliance. In fact, Congress should first have alliance between their existing eight legislators before thinking of other tie-ups,” Parsekar said.

Asserting that some independent legislators are getting “charged up” in the run up to the Assembly polls, he said, “But the history tells that in Goa, none of the independent legislator has got re-elected.”

2017 Goa polls: BJP MLAs for continuing alliance with MGP

Panaji: Majority of the Goa BJP MLAs today told party chief Amit Shah that the alliance with MGP should continue for the 2017 state Assembly polls, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza said.

Shah during his one-day visit to the coastal state met BJP MLAs at Dona Paula to take stock of preparations for the polls.

“We (majority of MLAs) have told Shah that the current alliance with MGP should continue even in future. The party should be quick to take decision on it,” D’Souza told reporters after the meeting.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar too attended the meeting.

D’Souza said Shah has told all the legislators to start working towards the party’s victory in upcoming polls.

“He (Shah) has told us to start the campaigning from tomorrow,” said the Deputy Chief Minister.

The BJP President today launched the party’s election campaign for the Goa polls.

MGP which was sharing power with Congress had severed ties to join hands with BJP during the 2012 polls.

MGP managed to win three seats and two of its legislators were inducted into the state Cabinet.

PTI