BJP, MGP feud over tie-up for Goa local body polls

Goa's ruling alliance partners - BJP and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) - are at loggerheads over tie-up for the ensuing Zilla Panchayat polls.
Although both the parties have publicly expressed readiness to stitch a pre-poll alliance, talks are also on that they might go alone if the other side fails to respond positively.
While MGP has said it would fight the polls on its own as BJP has not yet reverted to its request for a tie-up, the saffron outfit accused the regional party of "just sending letters" and not holding meaningful talks at leadership level.
"MGP has not formally approached us. What they have done is they have written a letter. Alliances don't happen over letters. Leaders from both sides should sit together and discuss modalities in detail," Goa BJP spokesman Subhash Faldesai told reporters here today.

The ZP polls, scheduled to be held next month, would be fought on party lines for the first time.
Faldesai said if MGP threatens to go it alone in the election, they too, could do the same. "BJP has organisation across Goa and we can fight the ZP polls on our own. If our alliance partner does not want us, we are ready to contest alone."

BJP and MGP had joined hands ahead of the 2012 Goa Assembly poll and the alliance paid rich dividends with the parties notching up a comfortable majority in the 40-member House and unseating the Congress-led Government.

Faldesai said the BJP has not closed doors for seat-sharing with MGP for the local polls but the latter will have to approach them in a systematic manner.
Last week, MGP President Dipak Dhavalikar had said the national party has not yet responded to its call for an alliance. "BJP has failed to respond to our letter seeking alliance for the polls. MGP has strength to fight the polls on its own," he had asserted.