Goa: Vinay Tendulkar eyes state polls, may quit as MP

PANAJI: Goa’s lone BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar on Sunday said that he wants to contest the next assembly elections and offered to resign as member of parliament to do so.
“I have told the party that I am interested in contesting the next assembly elections (likely to be held in early 2022). If the party confirms my ticket, then I am ready to resign as Rajya Sabha MP.I don’t want to continue in active electoral politics after five years,” the former BJP president, who completes 41 years in BJP, told TOI.

The two-time Sanvordem MLA — 1999 and 2002 — said that he wants to return to state politics because he has not been able to do much for the people of the state being a MP. “We have always been with karyakartas and being an MP, one has to spend most of the time in Delhi,” Tendulkar said. He had contested from Sanvordem constituency in 2007 too, but lost to independent candidate, mine owner Anil Salgaocar.
He was elected to the upper house of the parliament in 2017 and with it became Goa’s first BJP Rajya Sabha MP.
Under former chief minister Manohar Parrikar, Tendulkar was forest minister. He has also been parliamentary secretary. In 2012, he was made party president, which post he held till 2019.
While offering to resign as MP to contest the assembly polls, Tendulkar said that while it was not necessary to do so “if the party wants me to resign then I am ready to do so”.
The Rajya Sabha MP said that he has “not zeroed in on any constituency” and that he is ready to contest from any constituency as per the party’s decision. However, sources said that he is eying Sanvordem. For the past couple of months, Tendulkar has become active in the Sanvordem constituency.
Presently, the constituency is represented by PWD minister and BJP MLA Deepak Pauskar. Elected on MGP ticket for the 2017 assembly election, Pauskar joined BJP to become a minister when the party wanted to shore up its numbers in the assembly.
When asked whether he wants to contest from Sanvordem constituency, Tendulkar said that right now the party has an MLA there and that he will abide by the party’s decision.
However, the Rajya Sabha MP said that he will start an office in Sanvordem constituency soon on behalf of the trust he has established in his parents’ name to help the people. “I had an office in Sanvordem constituency and I am reopening it,” the MP said, adding that he will open an office in Ponda also to work for the people.