Goa Election Results 2017: MGP will support BJP if Parrikar comes back as CM

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) on Sunday said that it will extend its support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) only if Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is brought back to Goa as Chief Minister.

"We will support BJP on the condition that Manohar Parrikar is declared the Chief Minister candidate of Goa," MGP president Deepak Dhavlikar told ANI.

The BJP won 13 seats in the state polls, while the Congress won 17 seats.

The MGP had fought the Assembly polls in alliance with rebel Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Subhash Velingkar-led Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and Shiv Sena.

While the MGP managed to win three seats, its other alliance partners drew a blank.

Goa Forward and independents also won three seats each, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) bagged one seat in the state.

BJP MLA from Calangute, Michael Lobo, today said that the people of Goa want Manohar Parrikar to take charge as the next Chief Minister.

"He is required for Goa at this stage. This time we want Manohar Parrikar to come back and the whole thing is on MGP and Goa Forward and if they agree then Manohar Parrikar will be the Chief Minister of the state," Lobo told the media here.

Responding to a poser on whether or not he would be writing to the party high command in this regard, he said: "I will go there. We will not write, we will go today only if things work out."

The BJP legislature party met today in Goa and the MLAs passed a resolution to make Parrikar the Chief Minister.

Parrikar yesterday said the BJP has the highest vote share of 33 percent though it has won less number of seats and will try to contact the smaller parties and unaligned independents for support.

Admitting that the 'incumbency' factor played one of the roles which prevented the BJP from the securing more seats, Parrikar said, "We don't try to pass on the buck; we all are responsible for the fractured mandate. I also think it's probably the incumbency factor which turned the tide in few constituencies."

"Since there are substantial numbers of small parties being voted, including the independent candidates, we await their response also. We are in consultation with other parties, if they agree things can work out," he added.