Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has taken a swipe at Karnataka counterpart D K Shivakumar over his recent speech during the Congress's yatra, saying that speaking in Kannada would not help win votes in Goa, where people are well versed in Konkani.
CM Shivakumar addressed a gathering in Kannada at Cortalim constituency in Goa on October 8 during the Opposition Congress's 'Goy Rakhonn Yatra' (save Goa campaign), organised to raise issues concerning the protection of Goa's identity and interests ahead of the state assembly polls due early next year.
The campaign concluded on October 18.
"If someone comes here and speaks 'yendu gundu', that won't get him votes. Goans know Konkani very well," Sawant said while inaugurating the BJP's Cortalim constituency office in South Goa's Mormugao taluka on Saturday.
Sawant said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to win 30 of the 40 seats in the Goa assembly polls and is targeting a victory in Cortalim as part of that goal.
"We want to win 30 seats in the 2027 elections, and in that tally, I want Cortalim constituency to be part of it. We want to repeat history," he said.
Recalling the BJP's victories in Cortalim in 2012 and 2017, Sawant also remembered former MLA late Matanhy Saldanha, a prominent leader associated with the constituency.
While Matanhy Saldanha was elected from the Cortalim constituency on a BJP ticket in the 2012 assembly elections, his wife, Alina Saldanha, retained the seat for the party in the 2017 elections following his demise.
The South Goa Collectorate building had been named after Matanhy Saldanha, CM Sawant noted.
Cortalim is currently represented by Independent MLA Anton Vaz.
The BJP said the new office would serve as a link between party workers and residents, helping strengthen the organisation and enhance outreach at the grassroots level.
Goa BJP president Damu Naik, Rajya Sabha member Sadanand Shet Tanavade and other leaders were present during the inauguration of the party's office.
The BJP currently has 26 members in the Goa assembly, after two of its MLAs passed away. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which has two legislators, and three Independent MLAs are supporting the BJP-led state government.
The Congress currently has three MLAs, the Aam Aadmi Party has two, while the Goa Forward Party and the Revolutionary Goans' Party have one MLA each in the House.