Meeting of Goa BJP leaders with Shah cancelled

The meeting of Goa BJP leaders with party chief Amit Shah in Delhi tomorrow to discuss the leadership issue in the coastal state in view of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's ongoing medical treatment, has been cancelled, a senior functionary said here tonight.

Goa BJP General Secretary Sadanand Tanawade told PTI that the meeting stood cancelled, but did not elaborate.

However, sources in the BJP state unit said the meeting was called off apparently after Shah refused to grant the appointment to the state core committee.

Parrikar (62), who was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for a review health check-up on August 23, was supposed to fly to the United States this evening for medical treatment.

 

Earlier in the day, Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik told reporters here that the core team of the BJP would meet Shah to discuss an alternative leadership arrangement in view of Parrikar's health.

Meanwhile, seeking to rest speculations about change of guard in Goa, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) tonight said Parrikar would not hand over the charge to anyone else and continue to clear important files from the US.

"Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar would continue clearing important files from the US, as he used to do in the past. He will not hand over his charge to anyone during his short stay abroad," a senior CMO official said.

He emphasised there was "no order" to the CM to hand over the latter's responsibility to anyone.

"The CM is fit and fine and is active. He will be abroad for 8-10 days only," the official said.

Parrikar had undergone treatment in the US for three months earlier this year for a pancreatic ailment and returned in June. He went to the US again for a follow-up earlier this month.

He was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital for a review health check-up last Thursday, a day after he returned from the US. He was scheduled to return to Goa today.

Earlier in the day, Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant said Parrikar would fly to the US for medical treatment due to some complications in his health.

Naik had said Parrikar had developed "minor complications" and would stay in the United States for eight days.

"We (the core team of the BJP) will meet Shah to discuss an alternative leadership arrangement in view of Parrikar's health," he had told reporters.

Responding to a query of reporters on whether Parrikar should now step down as chief minister, the Union minister had said, "Ya.Ya.Ya...He should be fit and health is our priority. It is the decision of Parrikar whether to continue in the chair or not. That is his decision and let him take it".

When asked about the alternative leadership arrangement in the absence of Parrikar, Naik, the North Goa MP, had said, "We have no knowledge about any alternative arrangement, but something will be done".

Responding to a query on the health condition of senior ministers Francis D'Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar, who are currently undergoing treatment in the US and Mumbai, respectively, Naik underlined the need to have an alternative arrangement in place.

"The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) will soon take a call on the arrangements to be made in such cases," he said.

The Union minister had earlier said that the alliance partners of the BJP would be taken into confidence once the party finalised its decision on the (leadership) issue.