JOIN USThe selection process for finding a succesor to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is giving anxious moments to central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The BJP parliamentary board is expected to meet on Saturday morning to decide on the new chief minister of Goa. Parrikar will resign later in the day and will be followed by the BJP legislature party meet which will elect its new leader.
With Speaker Rajendra Arlekar and Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar throwing their hats in the ring, Deputy Chief Minister Francisco D’Souza, too, has made it clear that his claim cannot be ignored.
D’Souza, who is considered to be the BJP’s Christian face, may have to placated with the post of the Speaker, BJP sources said.
Of the 21 BJP MLAs, D’Souza claims to have the support of 15 MLAs if there is a secret vote. Senior BJP MLAs, including Vishnu Wagh, Kiran Kandolkar, Carlose Almeida, Micheal Lobo and Glenn Ticlo, have openly extended their support to D’Souza.
But what has not gone down well for D’Souza is that he has openly said he cannot work under any other BJP leader as he was deputy chief minister under Parrikar.
He told a TV channel that denying him the chief minister’s post will have an “adverse” impact on BJP's voters from the minority community.
On the other hand, Parsekar, who is seen as the front-runner, and Arlekar are mobilising their supporters. The RSS is said to have no objection to either of the names. Both leaders have said they would abide by the decision of the central leadership.
Those backing Parsekar, however, have conveyed to the central BJP leaders that there is a disproportionate assets case against Arlekar presently before a special court.
Parrikar is expected to work on a consensus candidate before the BJP parliamentary board meet.
The party has deputed former Karnataka chief minister and party vice-president B S Yeddyurappa, senior leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy and V Satish as observers at the meeting to elect the new chief minister.