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Even though the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party failed to secure a majority in Goa, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday said the party is in the ‘best position’ to form the government and it could do so by roping in smaller parties.
The saffron party suffered reverses in the state, where its tally plummeted to 13 in the 40-member house as the poll results threw a hung assembly. Opposition Congress emerged the single largest party with 17 seats.
“In the situation of a fractured mandate, everyone is in the run to form the government. We are also there. If the BJP acts like a core group and brings together smaller parties, we can still give a stable government,” the BJP leader told reporters.
“The BJP is in the best position to form the government, I am confident of getting necessary support from others,” the former Goa chief minister said.
He said the BJP is waiting for response from the smaller parties as there was no proper mandate to any party.
The Goa Forward Party, MGP and Independents won three seats each and the Nationalist Congress Party bagged one seat.
Speaking about the poor performance of his party, Parrikar said, “It is personal individual incumbency factor that affected the party's victory in several constituencies.”
He reasoned that being a state with smaller constituencies, a thousand votes can make a difference.
He pointed out that despite having poor show in terms of numbers, the party has increased its voting share, which is five per cent more then the votes polled by the Congress.
Parrikar, who spearheaded the party’s campaign in the state, said all the leaders share responsibility for the poor performance.
“We don’t pass on the buck. Everyone individually accepts the responsibility of reduction in the number of legislators,” he said.
Parrikar added that the BJP has grown in Goa and has the capacity to rise from the existing number of 13 legislators to ultimate majority in the elections to come.
Photograph: PTI Photo