Amidst speculations of his return to Goa if BJP is voted to power, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said chief minister should be "young at heart", even if he is slightly "an elder person".
"Though there is a requirement of youth to be the chief minister, I feel that the chief minister can be slightly elder person who can understand the aspirations of youth," Parrikar said at the party's youth convention in Panaji, along with BJP's candidate in the seat Siddharth Kuncolienkar.
"Chief Minister, whoever he is, has to be young at heart," the former Goa CM said, responding to a query by a young voter.
Goa will go to polls on February 4 to elect the 40-member House.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had recently said after elections in Goa, the MLAs would choose their leader, but with a rider that the choice for the top slot could either be from among them or can be sent from the centre.
BJP president Amit Shah, at a rally yesterday, said the next government would function under the leadership of Parrikar, further fuelling speculation on possible return of Parrikar at the helm of affairs in the state, in the event of his party securing a fresh mandate.
Parrikar said political stability was essential for the development in a state like Goa, which had been witness to rise and fall of ministries through the 1990s.
"I remember, in 1989 I never thought that I was destined to be in politics. But due to certain circumstances, I was pushed into politics. In those 10 years, I saw at least 12 Chief Ministers," he said.
"If you want to have comprehensive development of Goa, the plan needs to be worked out. But during that time (when I joined politics), there was no plan. Entire ten years went only to change the chief ministers," he said.
"After every 10 years there was political instability. The MLAs used to get huddled in a camp and for eight to ten days they were out of contact from the world trying to work out a new political equation," he said.
On the issue of reservation, Parrikar said he feels there is a need for the policy to continue.
"Though the situation in Goa is different, the social condition of SC and ST people across the country is not good...It is improving," Parrikar said to a question.
"I admit there is some misuse of reservation. But I feel we need to work out a mechanism to bring up those who are downtrodden into the social structure," he said.
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"The reason behind reservation is to bring them up. I feel that there is a need for reservation policy," Parrikar said.
Notably, RSS publicity chief Manmohan Vaidya had on Friday said that even B R Ambedkar, architect of the Constitution, was not in favour of perpetual continuance of reservations, and the reservations policy should be reviewed.
However, after Vaidya's remarks kicked up a row, the Sangh clarified that reservation as provided by Constitution should continue and there should be no unnecessary controversy.
Parrikar today questioned the need for compulsory attendance in colleges, but said he will take up students' concerns with University Grants Commission.
"If you want to answer an exam why does one need to give such an importance to attendance? I am telling you my secret, I never attended classes," Parrikar said.
"But unfortunately, though we don't agree, we will have to abide by the set rules to make us good student. Sometimes we don't agree with all the laws but we should abide by it, that is the quality of a good citizen," he said.
"The quality of good student is that he should abide by 75 per cent attendance. But since this issue is in the purview of University Grants Commission, it should be discussed with them as to when the exception should be given, under what circumstances it should be given," Parrikar said.
"I will raise this issue through student bodies before UGC and we will try to find out the solution," he said.
Recalling his days during IIT Mumbai, Parrikar said "though I did not attend classes I went to the library as attendance was not compulsory in IIT. I used to fair well in the exams."
Regarding his entry into politics, he said, "The day I entered politics, I knew that there are several pitfalls on the way. There is every probability of losing the control. Easy money comes with power, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," he said.
Parrikar said he still follows the principles that he adopted while entering the politics.
"Whatever personal work is there I do it with my own money. If you come to my bungalow in Delhi, you will find that only those things which are officially given to me by the government. You will not find any army person, except for those who are attached officially," he said.
