Goa BJP chief slams former CM Laxmikant Parsekar

Panaji: Coming down heavily on Goa's former BJP Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, state BJP President Vinay Tendulkar on Wednesday said the 62-year-old politician is aging and behaving like the flame of a lamp which is about to extinguish.

The attack comes in the backdrop of Parsekar threatening the party with contesting as a rebel candidate in the upcoming Assembly bypolls.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Tendulkar slammed Parsekar, who headed a BJP-led coalition government from 2014-17, for reaching out to multiple political parties to drum up support during the upcoming Assembly bypolls, while also questioning his commitment to the BJP.

"In reality, once a person is 60, his mindset changes with age. I think this is what has perhaps happened to him. When the flame of a lamp is about to extinguish, it burns bright but only for a moment. I think this is what has happened to Laxmikant Parsekar," Tendulkar told reporters.

Tendulkar was responding to a question from the media, about Parsekar's recent criticism of the decision taken by the BJP to offer his arch rival and former Congress MLA Dayanand Sopte the ticket to contest from Mandrem. 

Parsekar, who has served as the state BJP President on two occasions, has won from the Mandrem seat thrice, before eventually losing to Sopte in the 2017 Assembly polls and is one of the senior-most state leaders of the BJP.

The bypolls in Mandrem was necessitated after Sopte resigned as a legislator and quit the Congress last year.

Tendulkar also questioned Parsekar's lack of commitment to the party, which he said was unbecoming of a senior BJP leader. 

"A committed party worker does not verbally abuse the national President of the party.

"Parsekar has breakfast with Congress leaders, has lunch with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (a regional party) President at Fidalgo hotel and has meetings with BJP office-bearers in Cidade Goa (resort) at night. Where is his commitment to the party?" Tendulkar said.