Parrikar predicts BJP’s victory as Goa votes

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar predicted victory for the BJP candidates by huge margins in the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Goa, which witnessed 19 per cent voting in the first two hours on Saturday.

Talking to The Hindu after casting his vote at a Panaji polling booth on Saturday, Mr. Parrikar said that the BJP candidates would win because of cumulative effect of Narendra Modi and vote for his own government’s performance over the last two years.

He made light of the Church circular asking people to vote for secular parties would affect the BJP, reiterating, “People perceive BJP more secular. I have more Catholic MLAs and alliance partners than the Congress.”

When asked if the BJP prospects in Catholic-dominated South Goa would depend on the rebel factor in the Congress, Mr. Parrikar said these things can only widen the margin of victory.

He said that the Congress created a fear psychosis among minorities in the name of Mr. Modi in some pockets of South Goa constituency, but “some of these are not traditionally our (BJP) areas,” he argued.

“In these areas we had to change strategy because they do not recognise Modi, they vote for Parrikar,” he said.

Mr. Parrikar charged that the people are against the Congress because the UPA government neglected Goa during its 10-year rule at the Centre.