Goa CM: Want Manohar Parrikar’s footprint in Amethi to remain forever

Amethi: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday announced that he would continue the development and charitable works undertaken by his predecessor Manohar Parrikar in Amethi, the Lok Sabha seat which Union minister Smriti Irani wrested from Congress president Rahul Gandhi, scripting the biggest poll setback of this year’s Lok Sabha elections.
During his tenure as defence minister, Parrikar, who was elected as Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, had adopted two Amethi villages — Baraulia in 2015 and Hariharpur in 2017.His visits with cabinet colleague and 2014 contestant Irani got Amethi a host of skill development camps, schools, shoes, solar lights and development of ponds and park beautification from MPLAD doles. “I came to Amethi for two reasons today. One, I was part of Smriti Iraniji’s Lok Sabha campaign in 2014 and was involved with party member Surendra Singh in electioneering. I wanted to express solidarity with his bereaved family following his killing (Singh was shot dead after the declaration of Lok Sabha election results last month). Second, I want to tell people of Amethi that Parrikarji’s good works will continue here forever,” Sawant told TOI.
“I told BJP karykartas here to suggest a project to be instituted in Parrikar’s name and Goa government will take care of it as a tribute to him,” the CM added
Irani’s poll aide Singh lived in Baraulia and was killed by motorcycle borne men, two days after she pulled off the biggest upset of 2019 by unseating Rahul Gandhi.
Sawant said he would not demean Parrikar’s efforts by reacting to Congress general secretary east UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s remarks last month during polls on his charitable efforts, but accused Rahul of making indecent attempt to politicise his visit to Parrikar in January this year.
“It was the saddest part of the incident when Rahul made certain comments (on Rafale deal) despite making a visit to enquire about Parrikarji’s poor health. I still can’t stomach Rahul’s opportunism following that visit,” he said
The Goa CM also said that Rahul lost in Amethi due to Irani’s ability to maintain direct contact with people on ground and fulfil her committed promises by toiling hard and bringing a raft of projects that touched people’s lives — senior citizens from Amethi to the Kumbh earlier this month, schools, skill centres, urea racks, sarees, Wi-Fi to dhams and so on.
“By now, Amethi knows their MP is a doer. She was the same when she was Goa BJP’s in-charge” he said. Sawant, an Ayurveda doctor by profession, said that he would wish to see a full fledged Ayurveda hospital under Ayushman Bharat scheme in Amethi
“Our North Goa MP Shripad Nayak is Ayush minister. And indeed, there is lot of scope for that in Amethi. It will be a pleasure to come as a Ayurveda doctor and be part of that set up when it is established,” he said.