Shiv Sena eyes Goa Assembly polls

The Shiv Sena will contest 20-22 seats in the Goa Legislative Assembly polls slated for 2017. Party MP Sanjay Raut claimed that the people of the state are “fed up” with the BJP and that Sena was the only alternative left for the people there.

“We have dissolved the executive working committee of the party in Goa and are in the process of forming a new one. We have decided to contest between 20 and 22 seats in the Goa Assembly polls. Our work there is on in full swing,” said Mr Raut, who is the in-charge for Goa polls.

Of the 40 Assembly seats in Goa, the BJP in 2012 bagged 21 of the 28 seats it contested, polling 35.53 per cent votes. Congress came in second, winning nine seats, down by seven from its previous 2007 Assembly poll.

Mr Raut said the party’s star campaigner would be party chief Uddhav Thackeray and that the schedule of his rallies would be prepared in the upcoming days. When asked if the Sena was contesting the polls to make a dent in BJP’s vote share, Mr Raut said, “People of Goa are fed up with the BJP and the Congress. Therefore, Shiv Sena is the only alternative left.”

“We are contesting the polls to win so there is no question of trying to diminish BJP’s vote share,” he said.

When asked about the electoral issues for Sena, Mr Raut said there were many, including Goa government’s inability to control the Russian and Nigerian drug mafia prevalent there. “One of the electoral issues is language. The BJP had promised to give prominence to local languages such as Marathi and Konkani, but they have failed to keep their promise,” he said.

“Also, the promise to close down casinos has not been fulfilled. Apart from that, unemployment, law and order issues need urgent attention. Russian and Nigerian drug mafias are spread over a staggering 50 per cent of Goa. However, the Goa government has been unable to stop them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Manohar Parrikar who was chief minister of Goa twice from 2012 to 2014 and earlier in 2000 to 2005 is reportedly keen to return to Goa.

Mr Parrikar, however, said such decisions could neither be taken openly nor discussed with the media. However, he said, “Chief minister is like the king of the state who has unlimited power, whereas the Union minister is one who controls a small part of the kingdom,” he said.