In Delhi I am defence minister, in Goa I am leader of the state: Manohar Parrikar

Parrikar has stationed himself in Goa throughout the election season. Amid speculation whether a BJP victory might bring the former chief minister back to Goa, the defence minister has missed Delhi events such as the Beating Retreat, Parliament’s budget session so far, and now the presentation of the budget. RSS rebel Subhash Velingkar’s Goa Suraksha Manch raised this at a press conference Wednesday: “When Arun Jaitley is presenting the budget on the floor of the House, Parrikar is here giving an interview of the Goa elections to a TV channel.”

Parrikar makes a distinction. “In Delhi, I am the defence minister. Here in Goa, I am the leader of the state,” he says. “I feel they [Opposition] are scared of my face. Scared of seeing me here. Scared of seeing me go door to door and gain voters’ confidence. They know if my face is all over the state, the state will vote for the BJP. Every other party is scared,” says Parrikar.

Through the last two weeks, Parrikar has been holding corner meetings more frequently than ever, even entering drawing rooms to promise development, infrastructure projects, “and a corruption-free environment”. “If you ask me about a Goa voter, he wants peace and tranquility. During my rule, I saw to it he was given that. He doesn’t want a goonda in the background, and an extortion specialist in the foreground. He wants law and order. It is only my party that can and has promised him precisely that.” Parrikar says.

“In the last five years, have you ever heard of any high-profile cases pertaining to any individual from my side? If you have, then it’s just the Louis Berger case,” he says. “Forget us, the foreign authorities have probed that Congress ministers took money. They are now fielding the same person as a candidate and then talk about a corruption-free government. Is that even possible? Half of the Congress is corrupt.”

On the Church issuing an advisory hinting at Archdiocese disillusionment with the ruling party, he says, “I am not going to comment on the Church. It’s a religious space and one cannot talk elections and religion in the same line.”

He calls it an election where everyone will see a “shocking finale”. “You need to know the state, the constituencies, the Goans. No one frankly knows what they are talking about. Everyone has a narrow understanding and knows nothing. I have walked these streets of the state, and I know when I say something, I mean it,” he says.

“Don’t ask me any more questions, I am not here to keep repeating the same answers. We are winning this.”