Goa BJP MLAs, Core Committee Meet, Discuss Parrikar's Health

Panaji, Mar 16 (PTI) MLAs and core committee members of Goa BJP Saturday met to discuss the political situation rising out of the health condition of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The health of Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, had deteriorated earlier in the day sparking hectic political activities across parties in the coastal state.

A senior BJP office-bearer who attended the meeting in Panaji, chaired by state unit chief and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, said the political situation was discussed but not the issue of leadership change.

Goa Panchayat Minister and BJP MLA Mauvin Godinho said the meeting discussed preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha and bypolls as well as "other challenges" facing the state.

Godinho said Parrikar's health was also discussed.

Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant, after the meeting, said, "The BJP is aware that the Chief Minister's condition is not well. Some of our party leaders had met him during the day. Concerns about his health were raised."

Goa Power Minister Nilesh Cabral asserted that the meet did not deliberate on the leadership change issue.

"The CM is there and he is strong. So there is no reason to discuss leadership change," the BJP MLA said.

Six MLAs, allies in the BJP-led Goa government, had met Parrikar earlier in the day and extended support to him.

One of them, Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai had told reporters "the CM's health has deteriorated, but he is stable".

"He is not on life support. I don't know what medical term we can use for it. The chief minister's office has said he is stable, so we will take it that he is stable," Sardesai had said after he met Parrikar.

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