Parrikar being pressured to continue as CM, alleges former Goa unit RSS chief Velingkar
Panaji, Oct 25 : Former Goa unit RSS chief Subhash Velingkar has alleged that the BJP high command is pressuring Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to continue in the post despite his ill health, to retain power in the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, rubbished his charge, saying Parrikar was not being forced to continue as the chief minister and that his health condition was improving.
Velingkar demanded that the state government give an update on the chief minister's health.
"They (government) are fooling people. Parrikar needs proper rest. Unfortunately, theBJP high command in Delhi wants to retain power in Goa, that is why they are not allowing him to rest. They are power hungry," he alleged.
He was talking to reporters Wednesday evening after addressing a meeting of his supporters in Mandrem Assembly constituency, where a bypoll is due after Dayanand Sopte, who had won from there last year, resigned and joined the BJP.
Velingkar was ousted from the post of the Goa Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief in 2016 after his critical comments against Parrikar.
Later, he formed a political outfit called the Goa Suraksha Manch, which fought against the BJP in the state Assembly polls held last year.
Velingkar said the state government should have appointed another person as the chief minister till Parrikar recovered from illness.
"I feel this government will be dissolved and the Goa Assembly elections would be held along with the Lok Sabha polls," he said.
He said the BJP was "no more a party of ideology".
"The elected representatives don't have anything to do with the party's ideology. They have imported leaders from other parties. The loyal cadre is disturbed. In the next election, the BJP will be completely wiped out from the state," he claimed.
When contacted, BJP Goa unit chief Vinay Tendulkar said there is no issue of the party high command forcing Parrikar to continue in the chair.
"His health condition is improving now and he will resume office in November," he said.
Dismissing Velingkar's claims that BJP leaders were not following the party's ideology, Tendulkar said, "Whosoever is in the party is because he/she believes in our ideology."
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Party remains robust, will bounce back, says DMK
Chennai (PTI): Dismissing the shock defeat in the Assembly election as nothing unusual in a democracy, the DMK on Wednesday said it has seen several ups and downs in its long history and asserted that the party workers and office-bearers continue to be energetic and are committed to continuing the good work for people's welfare.
Tracing the party's chequered history, DMK Organisation Secretary RS Bharathi said in 1991 Assembly polls, only the party's late patriarch M Karunanidhi and Parithi Ilamvazhuthi won from Harbour and Egmore segments respectively out of the 234 constituencies in the state.
"So, who can forget 1991? That year we lost. But we bounced back and formed the government in 1996. In our long history of over 7 decades we have seen lots of ups and downs and party workers show determination and continue the good work even when out of power," the DMK leader told PTI.
He said the difference in vote share between his party (24.19 per cent) and the "winning party" (34.92 per cent) is not "very wide."
Bharathi expressed confidence about the party bouncing back and once again emerging victorious.
He and others cited the message of DMK President M K Stalin, thanking the people and asserting that ideology was important rather than victories and defeats alone.
On May 4, the DMK chief asserted that he had seen in his public life, lot of victories and defeats as well. Hence, it is the goal and ideology that was paramount and not merely electoral victories and defeats.
The DMK, which worked efficiently as the ruling party, would from now on work effectively as the main opposition party.
He had further said: "I was truthful to all sections of people; I acted as per conscience, worked beyond my capacity."
Stalin said: "I bow to people's verdict, DMK worked well as ruling party, from now on will be good opposition party. DMK's political journey will continue without any slackness."
When votes were counted on May 4, actor-politician Vijay's TVK created a record of sorts in the electoral history of Tamil Nadu and emerged as the single largest party by delivering a shock defeat to incumbent DMK and its president, Chief Minister Stalin in his Kolathur constituency, while the AIADMK was pushed to a distant third spot.
Vijay and TVK have many firsts to their credit and the party founder will be the first person from a minority religion -Christianity- to helm the state. The assembly election was held on April 23 in Tamil Nadu.
கழகத் தலைவர் மு.க.ஸ்டாலின் அவர்களின் அறிக்கை
— DMK (@arivalayam) May 5, 2026
நடந்து முடிந்த தமிழ்நாடு சட்டமன்றப் பொதுத் தேர்தலில் திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகத்தின் தலைமையிலான மதச்சார்பற்ற முற்போக்குக் கூட்டணிக் கட்சியின் வேட்பாளர்களுக்கு வாக்களித்த தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்கள் அனைவருக்கும் எனது மனமார்ந்த நன்றியை உண்மை… pic.twitter.com/LQtrACGK0z
