Rambles on price rise, black money and economic meltdown
BY A GT REPORTER
PANJIM: With just one day before Goa goes to polls, opposition leader Manohar Parrikar has exploited South Goa candidate Francisco Sardinha's statement to the hilt.
Media reports quote Sardinha as stating that he will not visit villages in South Goa after his win but at the Collectorate in Margao to meet him in connection with any work.
Parrikar virtually termed this statement as an eye opener for the voters and Congress' vote banks, further opining that the latter are being taken for granted.
Rubbing salt on Congress' wounds, the opposition leader vowed to fulfil all promises in the BJP's current manifesto even as he drew comparisons with the party's Assembly manifesto during Assembly elections in 2002. Parrikar said the party had executed all it promises to the extent of 70 percent despite being disallowed from completing its term in office.
At a press conference, in the backdrop of Sardinha's comments, Parrikar remarked, " The attitude displayed by the Congress candidate almost takes a certain section of the voters for granted. From yesterday, I have been getting calls(from voters) conveying strong reactions from die-hard Congress workers. They have not taken this statement lightly."
Parrikar stated that, he would not to allow the Congress to take its for granted. " In case Sardinha wants the villagers to visit him in Margao, then why is he (Sardinha) going to the villages asking for votes?" questioned the opposition leader.
On the contrary, Parrikar re-iterated the BJP's commitment to its manifesto. " They(both candidates) will visit every nook and corner of the state unlike that displayed by the Congress party which takes for granted a certain section of voters," Parrikar's commented.
Explaining the issues which dominated these Lok Sabha elections in the state, Parrikar pointed out to three issues Price rise, security and economic meltdown. He spoke about escalating prices of sugar, palm oil prices and prices of tur dal, the encounters in Srinagar for the deteriorating security situation and the Swiss bank money vis-a-vis the economic meltdown.
Later, replying to questions, he said the BJP was confident of winning the North Goa seat by a 'very comfortable margin' and the South Goa seat by a 'reasonably comfortable margin'.
Asked whether the election campaign had passed off smoothly, Parrikar informed that more than 95 percent of booths in North Goa and more than 90 percent booths in South Goa were visited by the candidates. He also expressed unhappiness over the Election Commission's failure to control money power in this election.
Pooh-poohing the Congress party in reply to yet another question, Parrikar opined that the 'original' Congress has lost its 'originality' as the 'original Congressman' Jitendra Deshprabhu has now left the party for the NCP.
