MGP stands behind Deepak’s candidature in Shiroda bypoll

PANAJI: General secretary of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and former Ponda MLA Lavu Mamledar said his party would be hit badly if president Pandurang ‘Deepak’ Dhavalikar withdrew from the Shiroda bypoll scheduled for April 23.
Stating that the MGP is fully behind its president for contesting the bypoll, Mamledar said that if deputy chief minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar gives in to the demand of the BJP to withdraw the candidate from Shiroda constituency, it would badly impact the party’s image.
“Not just that, Sudin’s reputation and image as a leader and minister will go down in the eyes of the public. This is because withdrawing Deepak from the fray would mean that Sudin has taken the decision for self-aggrandisement and against the interest of the party and his brother,” Mamledar said.
He said that the party president is way ahead of others in the Shiroda constituency, having started work more than four months ago. “Deepak has done lot of work there and people are with him. He is the most acceptable candidate and hence others are worried. In the present circumstances, he will win 100%,” Mamledar said.
Referring to pressures on the party leaders not to field any candidate in Shiroda, he said Deepak has already stated that he would go ahead with the campaign. But under some circumstances, if Deepak withdraws, then he would spoil his own image and it would be clear that MGP leaders are more interested in positions in the government than the party’s interest, he said. It would also drastically impact the party as the workers would be demoralised with such decisions, he stated.
As reported by TOI, there were moves to keep Sudin out of the cabinet over the Shiroda bypoll issue. Sources said that only after an assurance was taken from Dhavalikar that he would ask his brother to withdraw from the fray that he was inducted in the cabinet and given the deputy chief ministership. The party has come under huge pressure from the BJP over the Shiroda seat as the BJP wants to wrest it from the Congress under any circumstances, sources said. MGP is contesting following a decison taken by the party’s central committee , the highest decision making body of the regional party, that the ‘Lion’ should contest all the three bypolls - Mandrem, Mapusa and Shiroda.