Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday began a desperate exercise to keep its flock together after two of its legislators left the party to join Congress over the last few weeks.
The two legislators, Rajesh Patnekar and Dayanand Sopte, resigned from the party accusing Goa unit chief and Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar of "not understanding their feelings" and also citing "better political future in Congress party".
The BJP held a meeting at the party’s headquarters here today to take stock of the situation which was attended by all the 12 legislators, sources said.
They also said that Parrikar has launched a desperate attempt to keep the flock together ahead of state assembly polls.
"We discussed several things. I do not want to brief about anything. We did discuss resignations by Patnekar and Sopte," Parrikar told PTI emerging from the meeting.
When asked for his reaction to Sopte’s resignation, Parrikar only said, "I cannot react to his exit".
Sopte was recently nominated as election campaign manager for North Goa, which has 20 legislative assembly constituencies.
{{/usCountry}}Sopte was recently nominated as election campaign manager for North Goa, which has 20 legislative assembly constituencies.
{{/usCountry}}The Pernem legislator had stated that "it was Parrikar’s neglect towards him that had forced him to quit the party. I had no political future in the party. I wanted to discuss the issue with Parrikar but he never bothered to hear what I wanted to say," Sopte had told reporters after resigning as MLA on Saturday.
BJP, which ruled the state for five years till 2005, has been donning the opposition benches and trying to keep its members together. It is also struggling to have pre-poll alliance with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) for the ensuing election which has so far not shown any willingness to join hands with it.
The congress, on the other hand, has managed to cut to size the Parrikar-led party in the state.