Goa BJP leaders to meet Shah on leadership issue

BJP leaders from Goa will call on 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.

Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik told reporters here that Parrikar could consider stepping down in view of his health.

Seeking to allay concerns over Parrikar's health, he said the chief minister had developed "minor complications" and would stay in the United States for eight days.

Earlier in the day, Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant said Parrikar, 62, will be flying to the US this evening for medical treatment due to some complications in his health.

The chief minister 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.

Parrikar was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for a review health check-up on August 23, a day after he returned from the US. He was scheduled to return to Goa today.

The BJP team meeting Shah would be led by Naik and Goa party unit president Vinay Tendulkar.

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

Responding to a query of reporters on whether Parrikar should step down as CM now, Naik said Parrikar should give priority to his health and consider resigning.

"Yes...Parrikar should give priority to stay fit and healthy. It is the decision of Parrikar whether to continue to be in the CM's chair or not. That will be his decision and let him take it," the minister said while responding to the query on the future role of the chief minister.

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

When asked about the health conditions of senior ministers Francis D'Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar, who are currently undergoing treatment in the US and Mumbai, respectively, Naik again 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 added alliance partners of the BJP would be taken into confidence once the party finalised its decision on the (leadership) issue.