Amit Shah wanted Goa govt formation at any cost: Nitin Gadkari

However, narrating the mood in the BJP camp on counting day, Union Minister Gadkari said, “To be honest…it was difficult to form the government. Amit Shah visited me in Delhi late afternoon just as counting was getting over in Goa. He said we have to form the government in Goa at any cost. I was asked to leave for Goa immediately…”

He said he had detailed chats with party cadre in Goa from the early hours of March 12. “I began with a long chat with Parrikar, which he claims continued till 4 am… and he was asked to take over the reins of Goa. Parrikar was a successful Raksha Mantri. It was more important for him, the party and the government to have him in Delhi… But I told him, either stake claim as a chief minister or you can see the BJP in the opposition,” he said, adding that Shah was woken up at 6 am and told they had the numbers, and by 8 am the parliamentary board was by their side.

“I told Shah that I am a member of the parliamentary board and the other member is you. We could convince the rest for the formation of a government and relieve Parrikar from his duties at the Centre,” said Gadkari.

By afternoon, Gadkari said, there was one Independent member who was still not convinced. He added, “We just spread the word that the rest will get cabinet positions. It reached him and he was also with us.”

Taking a swipe at the Congress, he said: “It was as tough for us to form the government as it was easy for the Congress. We had 13, they had 17. Someone tells me they kept squabbling and even made a call to their high command, but the call didn’t go through…”

In his speech thanking the people of Goa for their support, Shah called Parrikar the best Defence Minister the country could ever have. Promising to make Goa a model state in five years, he added, “I am surprised at Digvijaya Singh’s bokhlahat (panic). He keeps yelling this is wrong, that is not right. I want to ask him what unconstitutional thing did we do. Instead, I want to ask him how did he fail with the numbers on his side.”

Parrikar said: “The party will introspect about how we got 13 seats…I must admit there was a bit of negligence from our side, besides I was in Delhi. I want to correct it.”