I am just a face of the party: Parrikar

Panaji, Aug 20 (PTI) Attributing BJP’s victory in the2012 Goa Assembly elections to its workers’ efforts, DefenceMinister Manohar Parrikar today said he was just the "face ofthe party" in the state. "Statements are being made that in 2012, votes polled byBJP were for me. It is true that I went on a tour of theconstituencies before the elections, but the real credit goesto the workers who worked to make the tour successful," hetold a booth-level BJP workers’ convention near here. BJP president Amit Shah, who today kicked off the party’scampaign for Goa Assembly polls next year, was also present atthe programme. "The real strength of the party is the workers. Parrikaris just a face of the party," the former Goa Chief Ministersaid. Stressing that he would be always available for Goans,Parrikar said, "I have my family here, I have my workers here,I have my people of Goa here." Parrikar said, when he took over as the Goa ChiefMinister in 2012, the state was facing a financial crisis. "Due to closure of mining, 30 per cent revenue haddropped. Despite this, BJP fulfilled all the assurances it hadgiven during the election," he claimed. "Also, payments of Rs 1,500 crore by the government,inherited from the previous (Congress-led) regime, was alsodue then," Parrikar said. PTI RPS KRKNSDJMF