‘Party will take right decision on Phal Dessai’
Special Correspondent
Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state Bharatiya Janata Party president Damodar ‘Damu’ Naik, along with Sanguem MLA and Minister for Social Welfare Subhash Phal Dessai met Sanguem BJP Mandal members and party workers on Monday, amidst consternations over the reservation of Assembly seats for scheduled tribes.
The senior party leaders heard the grievances and concerns of these party workers at the BJP office in the city.
Describing the differences as a “family matter”, Sawant later said the problem had been now resolved.
“Subhash Phal Dessai is our party leader, and the party will take the right decision about him at the appropriate time,” he said.
After meeting the Chief Minister and other party leaders, Mandal members clarified that they have no objection to ST political reservation, but lamented that they were not taken into confidence regarding the process.
After meeting the BJP workers from Sanguem, Sawant described the interaction as “fruitful” and assured that development in Sanguem would continue.
The proposed reservation of the Sanguem Assembly constituency for STs triggered political and community concerns; sections of the Bhandari community expressed displeasure over the developments and the statements concerning Phal Dessai.
The party workers had claimed that they supported the BJP consistently and worked for the party with loyalty, maintaining that steps were taken towards ST reservation without adequately taking local stakeholders into confidence.
The state BJP president said there was some confusion among party workers, which has now been sorted out.
Phal Dessai said there had been misunderstandings between party workers as well as the leadership over the reservation issue, but maintained that the concerns exist no more.
