Panel meets Shah, no decision yet

PANAJI/NEWDELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who emerged from discussions in New Delhi over a solution to Goa’s political impasse with the party’s national president Amit Shah on Wednesday said no decision had been made yet.

Three BJP MPs — south Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, north Goa MP Shripad Naik and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, who is also state BJP president — met Shah along with the party’s central observers in a bid to thrash out a solution in the impasse created after chief minister Manohar Parrikar was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) due to a pancreatic ailment. “He (Amit Shah) is seized of the matter. No decision has been arrived at yet,” said Sawaikar after the meeting.

The meeting was held on a day when the BJP’s alliance partners — the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) — toned down their respective demands.

While the MGP has reiterated that it will work only under Parrikar or alternatively, have its leader, Sudin Dhavalikar, given charge of the CM’s responsibilities, the GFP has indicated that it does want a BJP leader not among the present set of MLAs to be given additional charge. Parrikar’s inputs have been taken, officials aware of the matter said.

Meanwhile, BJP general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal, who returned from Goa on Tuesday also briefed Shah about the situation. BJP leaders in Delhi said the party was in no hurry to take a call on Goa and its leadership was keeping a close watch.