Panaji: Throwing clear hints that it would go with the party floated by RSS rebel Subhash Velingkar in next year's assembly polls in Goa, the state unit of the Shiv Sena on Tuesday said the regional language crusader will lead the non-BJP and non-Congress parties in the polls.
Likening Velingkar to Lord Krishna, Goa Shiv Sena chief Sudip Tamankar said, "the upcoming state Assembly election fight is like a final war in Mahabharata, in which the BJP are 'kauravas' and those against them are 'Pandavas'," adding, "Velingkar is Lord Krishna who will guide the non-BJP, non-Congress parties to success."
The Sena submitted a formal seat-sharing proposal to the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), launched by Velingkar after he was sacked as the state chief of the RSS in the wake of his persistent attack on the BJP Government headed by Laxmikant Parsekar.
Stating that the battle lines are already drawn for the elections, Tamankar said, "Those who are with BJP are sure to face defeat. Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), an ally of the BJP, will also face the same fate."
Responding to the statement by MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar saying Shiv Sena has "no base" in Goa, Tamankar said he should make statements against other parties after snapping ties with BJP.
"Dhavalikar had alliance with Congress before 2012 polls. During the current dispensation, he is with BJP. Dhavalikar has no ideology. They are just power hungry and are under the wrong impression that MGP has mass base," he said.
"If they really have a mass base, then they should contest independently during the upcoming polls and show their strength. Why are they depending on crutches of BJP?" Tamankar said.
Velingkar, whose Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch had crossed swords with the BJP and RSS, on Sunday floated the new party and vowed to defeat the BJP in the Assembly polls.
On August 21, RSS had "relieved" Velingkar as Goa Vibhag Sangh Chalak, prompting him to form a parallel outfit called RSS Goa Prant.
The BBSM has been spearhading a campaign against the state government demanding that mother tongue be made as medium of instruction (MOI), and withdrawal of grants to English medium schools.
