Goa Politics: Savio Rodrigues could be sacked as BJP spokesperson?

PANAJI: According to sources in the Goa BJP, party spokesperson and BJP Velim candidate for the State Assembly elections that were held in February this year, Savio Rodrigues may soon be sacked as party spokesperson.

A few senior BJP party leaders in Goa are understood to have dialled the high command in New Delhi with complaints against Rodrigues for speaking publicly on the BJP platform and criticising the state government.

They apparently are understood to have told the bosses in Delhi that Rodrigues who does not have a voter base or grassroot support in Goa and has never won any election in the coastal state, seems to be getting too big for his boots.

While it is not clear what the senior party leadership in the state thinks of his recent outburst against the government, it has definitely upset a few big leaders who do not approve of a junior leader making statements and questioning the Chief Minister and other elected MLAs. One of the upset and angry BJP leaders who made his thoughts known to New Delhi on Saturday evening, spoke to this reporter, stating that Rodrigues should hold his horses and not jump the gun.

“He (Rodrigues) is comparatively junior in the party and has yet to fully understand the meaning of the word politics. He should not have questioned the Chief Minister. Speaking against a Minister in the government is one thing and questioning the wisdom of the Chief Minister is a totally different thing. Rodrigues has crossed the sacrosanct Lakshman Rekha. He is too junior to publicly advise the Chief Minister and that too on the BJP platform as a party spokesperson,” the angry MLA said.

Goa BJP state party president Sadanand Tanawade was unavailable for comment.