PANAJI
Currently engaged in its internal elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa held a meeting of its Core Committee on Friday even as the race for the State's top organisational post of party president paced up with current general secretary Narendra Sawaikar and current vice-president Damodar (Damu) Naik said to be the front-runners.
The 'Core Committee' discussed probable names for the top post and finally shortlisted six, which were sent to the Central leadership for consideration.
Apart from Sawaikar and Naik who are also part of the 'Core Committee', others in the shortlist for president include another core committee member and former Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar, former ministers Dayanand Mandrekar and Dilip Parulekar and former MLA, Dayanand Sopte.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant chaired the core committee meeting alongwith, Rajya Sabha MP and outgoing State president, Sadanand Shet Tanavade. Ongoing party organisational elections 'Sangathan Parva' were discussed and strategies for the Zilla Panchayat elections due later this year were also deliberated.
Tanavade later told the media that the new State party president will be declared by January end and mandal chiefs in 36 constituencies are expected to be announced next week on January 7.
Besides Sawant and Tanavade others who attended Friday's core committee meeting included Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, former chief minister Digambar Kamat, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, former minister, Nilesh Cabral and senior party leader Govind Parvatkar.
Meanwhile, although Sawaikar and Naik have emerged the top two contenders for the State party president's position, sources said, Tanavade has also set his sights on a second term.
A source close to Tanavade said he has conveyed to BJP general secretary in-charge of Goa B L Santosh that he is "not averse" to continuing for a second term if the party deems it appropriate. Should the Central leadership agree, it would be a first in Goa as no other previous party president has had a second consecutive term. It would also go against the party's one-man-one-post principle.
In the contest for the top post between Sawaikar and Naik, meanwhile, the race is said to be evenly balanced.
Sawaikar is a former MP from South Goa. He was reportedly told that he would be considered for the position after he forfeited his claim to the South Goa ticket again in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections held last June after the party's Central leadership decided to field a woman in industrialist Pallavi Dempo.
Naik on the other hand is a two-term legislator from Fatorda and had been a hot contender for the top post on two previous occasions but eventually getting edged out first by former MP, Vinay Tendular and then by Tanavade.
Who of the two or if any of the others in the shortlist eventually gets the crucial post will largely depend on endorsements and support from State leaders including Sawant, Tanavade and Union minister Shripad Naik to name a few.
