Goa BJP ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MGP threatens to contest polls alone if 'ailing' CM Manohar Parrikar fails to step down

PANAJI: Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) threatened to contest upcoming national elections alone, if 'ailing' chief minister Manohar Parrikar fails to step down.

“We will contest next election on our own unless Parrikar steps down as Goa CM,” warned MGP president Dipak Dhavalikar.

Issuing an ultimatum, the party demaded that the chief minister's post be given to its Sudin Dhavalikar, the current PWD minister in Goa cabinet.

"Party's central committee had a detailed discussion on the leadership issue today. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is ailing and, because of that, the administration is completely paralysed for the last eight months," Dhavalikar said.

"Therefore, to bring in discipline and efficiency to the administration, we demand that the chief minister's charge be given to senior MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar as early as possible," he said.

"If the charge is not given immediately, we will contest all upcoming elections, that is (Assembly) by-election and Lok Sabha polls, by fielding our candidates against official candidate of the government," he said.

An ailing Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals for nearly nine months. He's currently recuperating at his residence after being discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, on October 14.

In the current Goa Assembly, the BJP-led ruling coalition, the saffron party has 14 seats, MGP and Goa Forward Party and Independents- three seats each and the Nationalist Congress Party one seat.