PANAJI: The race for the post of Goa Chief Minister hotted up today with Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar emerging the front-runner to succeed Manohar Parrikar, who is tipped to become the Union Defense Minister.
The incumbent chief minister will resign tomorrow after a meeting of the central parliamentary board of BJP in New Delhi. A meeting of the BJP legislature party will be held here to choose his successor.
“The BJP parliamentary board would be meeting in Delhi tomorrow morning (to decide on Parrikar’s successor). After that I will resign and within two hours new Chief Minister would be sworn-in,” he told reporters after attending the crucial meeting of party legislators here this morning to discuss the names.
During the meeting, three names – state health minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar and Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza – were shortlisted for the top post, sources said.
Refusing to divulge the shortlisted names, Parrikar said the list would be submitted to the party’s parliamentary board, which will take a final call on it.
The party has already deputed senior leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy, former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and organizing secretary B Satish to oversee the legislature party meeting.
The BJP legislators, who met at Porvorim today, hinted that Parsekar is the front-runner for the chief ministerial post, though no one preferred to come on record.
“We will accept the decision of the party high command.
Whatever would be the decision, it would be unanimous,” said Parsekar, who arrived in the Chief Minister’s official car for the meeting.
Asked if he was in the race, he said there was no competition in the party and he has been doing duties given to him by the organization.
Arlekar said he would undertake any responsibility given to him by the party.
Party MLA Michael Lobo favored elevating Deputy CM D’Souza to the Chief Minister’s post that will give a good signal across the country that BJP was not against minorities.–PTI
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