Lakshmikant Parsekar pips Francis D’Souza to become Goa CM

NEW DELHI: Health minister Lakshmikant Parsekar replaced Manohar Parrikar as Goa chief minister on Saturday after the firm backing of the BJP’s central leadership rendered futile dissenting deputy chief minister Francis D’Souza’s desperate efforts to project himself as successor.

Despite some MLAs publicly supporting D’Souza, Delhi’s word reigned supreme on the state unit and Parsekar was sworn in as CM by early afternoon. “The three observers — Rajeev Pratap Rudy, BS Yedyurappa and Purushottam Rupala — gave their feedback about who should be the CM after talking to all BJP MLAs to the parliamentary board, which met in Delhi.

Subsequently, the name of Parsekar was consented to by the board and an official decision was arrived at. Once this was clear, nobody objected to it and Parrikar placed a proposal for vote along with D’Souza. Parsekar’s name was cleared unanimously then,” explained Rajendra Arlekar, Assembly speaker and a strong contender for the post.

According to south Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, what also worked in Parsekar’s favour was that he was twice state president and one of the founding members of the BJP in Goa. Denying it was the RSS influence that got Parsekar the upper hand over the more senior D’Souza, Arlekar said it was entirely a decision of the central leadership. Curiously, both D’Souza and a section of BJP MLAs which came out in open support were not available for comment about the change in their stand. On their part, Parrikar, Rudy and Parsekar all said the choice of CM was “unanimous”.

Hailing from the picturesque, coastal North Goa constituency of Mandrem,Parsekar cut his teeth in RSS and BJP despite hailing from a family that was inclined towards the then dominant Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party, a right-wing political outfit. Parsekar secured a victory in state assembly only in his fourth attempt, but has been a confidant of Parrikar. D’Souza’s previous associations in other parties worked against him in the end.