MARGAO: Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai has asked Babush Monserrate not to take any hasty decision to quit the Goa Forward Party inorder to contest the Panaji bypoll.
Monserrate on Friday had called on Sardesai and communicated his decision to quit the regional party.
The Goa Forward chief is reported to have told Babush to think over before taking the decision to resign. “Babush called on me on Friday and conveyed his decision to quit the party. I have only told him to think over his decision before taking the final call”, Sardesai told The Goan.
Sources in the know say that the Goa Forward chief has advised his senior party leader not to take any hasty step and keep his decision on hold at least for the next 48 hours till the Election Commission declares the date for the Panjim seat.
Asked how he felt when his party colleague is bracing up to cross swords against the major coalition partner, BJP in the Panjim bypoll, Sardesai shot back “I have nothing to say. I have told Babush to think over. But, if he is determined to contest the bypoll and that too as an independent, I cannot stop him from throwing his hat in the electoral ring”.
When his attention was drawn to the fact that the MGP is also facing a similar situation with Party president Deepak Dhavalikar bracing to contest the Shiroda bypoll, Sardesai said he has been saved of the embarrassment as Babush has decided to quit the Goa Forward to contest the ensuing bypoll as an independent. “I have all along maintained that the alliance partners should maintain the coalition dharma. I had made this statement with the MGP Chief Deepak Dhavalikar vowing to contest the Shiroda bypolls against the BJP. Such a situation does not augur well for the coalition government”, he said, adding that since Babush has decided to quit the Goa Forward party, the regional party has been saved of the embarrassment which MGP has been facing.
