Promising to release its first list of candidates for the upcoming State legislative Assembly polls by early January, State BJP president Vinay Tendulkar appeared to be caught in two minds as to the party’s CM candidate for the polls, scheduled to be held in early 2017.
Speaking to reporters in Panaji on Thursday, Tendulkar also did not rule out an alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, two of whose Ministers were sacked from the BJP-led coalition Cabinet earlier this month, which has put the alliance on the ropes for now.
“Our core committee has asked for names of candidates from all party mandals for preparations ahead. Meetings with eight to nine mandals have been done. After Manohar Parrikar returns, all the rest of the BJP mandals will be heard from January 1 to 4," Tendulkar said.
Tendulkar said, that once the names are recommended, they are forwarded to the party's parliamentary board for clearance, after which the final list of candidates would be announced in early January.
Speaking about the preparations being done by the party for the state assembly elections, Tendulkar said that after the successful completion of the party's Vijay Sankalp Maha-Melavas in 35 of the 40 legislative assembly constituencies in the state, the party would now work towards energizing its booth-level workers.
"Now we have to go to booths and involve senior citizens, women and youth workers. We are strengthening booths. Each booth has 40 to 50 workers," Tendulkar said.
He also said, that while preparations were being conducted in all 40 legislative assembly constituencies, there was scope for incorporating allies and independent candidates in some.
He also said, that all sitting MlAs may not necessarily get tickets to contest in the 2017 polls. "It is not the case that all sitting MlAs will get tickets. Two-or three may be dropped. But I cannot tell you which ones," he said.
Asked to comment on the status of the alliance between the MGP and the BJP, Tendulkar said that he was hopeful of the alliance continuing.
"It can happen. We did not break the alliance, we did not even say no," he said, adding that there would be no impact on the BJP's vote-share, if the alliance fails.
After its two ministers were sacked by Chief Minister laxmikant Parsekar, the MGP has maintained that it will take a call on the alliance after the model code of conduct is in force.
When asked about the chief minister candidate for the BJP for the forthcoming elections, Tendulkar said: "Until candidates are finalized and the elections are conducted, we will go under the leadership of the chief minister. After the elections the MlAs will choose their own leader".