Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: Heavy exchange of words virtually coming close to fist-blows was reportedly witnessed between Karyakartas in a closed-door meet brokered by BJP’s Central leaders to bring unanimity once the BJP ticket is announced for Canacona constituency.
In a press briefing later outside the closed-door meeting hall of one resort from Rajbhag, BJP State Secretary Sarvanand Bhagat and Canacona BJP Mandal President Nandadip Bhagat downplayed any dissenting mood and added ‘everything is normal’, and central leaders have only guided Karyakartas about their role once party candidate is announced and till the elections are conducted.
After holding a poll exercise to know the Karyakartas preference of candidate between Canacona BJP MLA Isidore Fernandes and BJP State Vice-president Ramesh Tawadkar for Canacona seat, almost all the block committees have expressed their dissent in the manner in which everyone present in the voting-hall without verifying their credentials at Margao was allowed to vote on Wednesday.
Sources pointed out party’s local cadres, especially all the blocks, are preparing to revolt if the candidature of their choices is not announced. Central election leadership deputed Elections Incharge/ex-MLA(Karnataka) Sunil Hegde, MP(Maharashtra) Mahesh Kotak, Raghunath Kulkarni, along with State Secretary Sarvanand Bhagat to break the ice of dissent within the Blocks rank and file.
Though officially could not be verified, when Block Party leadership objected to enforcing a particular candidate, some of the Karyakartas and supporters began to exchange words. There was literally chaos as block leadership, and one candidate’s supporters virtually came close to exchange of blows.
Some personal barbs were also exchanged with a working staff of an Ex-Minister, informed a reliable source.
After a few minutes, the situation was brought under control, as the two Central leaders emphasized that karyakartas should work’ for the party’ irrespective of who gets the ticket and explained the strategy to be followed.
Hegde is also believed to have conveyed to the Karyakartas not to fight with each other for the sake of leaders instead work for the upliftment of the party. “I had not come to finalize ticket to anyone but to guide our valuable workers on the strategy to be followed once the ticket is announced,” Hegde said.
Later, addressing the waiting media outside the meeting hall, State Secretary Sarvanand Bhagat and Canacona block president Nandeep Bhagat without making any references to the trouble inside the hall said Everything inside was conducted smoothly and block leadership and the few Karyakartas/supporters of a particular candidate were advised to bury their differences and work for the success of the party in the 2022 Assembly elections at Canacona.
When asked if 2017 Assembly elections scenario is going to be repeated, Nandadip Bhagat said, no chance, one will get a ticket and another claimant will work for the official candidate.
