While BJP legislators in Goa today unanimously favoured continuance of alliance with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party for the next year’s Goa Assembly polls, the latter said it will go it alone if not offered “satisfactory” terms.
“Till now there have been no talks of alliance with BJP.
When talks start, we will not compromise on the number of seats and the constituencies which we would like to contest.
If required we are ready to go it alone,” said the working president of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Narayan Sawant.
The statement came hours after Goa BJP legislators told senior leader Nitin Gadkari that they favoured alliance with MGP.
Talking to reporters, Sawant said MGP will demand Dabolim and Bicholim seats, amongst others.
“MGP was winning in Bicholim till 1999. BJP won in that constituency only two times. It is our bastion, so we should be given the seat,” he said while referring to recent statement by Bicholim BJP leaders that they will not cede the constituency to MGP.
MGP had contested from Dabolim in 2012 and it should continue to be an MGP seat, he added.
MGP had fought 2012 Goa polls in alliance with BJP and had won three seats.
Earlier in the day, BJP legislators unanimously resolved to continue the alliance with MGP. Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and other MLAs met the state desk-incharge Nitin Gadkari here and conveyed their views to him.
“For last five years we are in alliance with them and it should be continued,” Parsekar told reporters later.
BJP had earlier said the formal talks with MGP would begin after October 2.
MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar also met Gadkari today, but said they did not discuss the issue of alliance.