Politics in the coastal state of Goa is taking an interesting turn with each passing day. Shiv Sena, a long time ally of the BJP at the centre and in Maharashtra, has shown interest in tying up with sacked RSS chief Subhash Velingker's group for the upcoming state assembly elections.
Velingker had a two hour long meeting with senior Sena leader and party MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday evening. Within Shiv Sena's organisation structure, Raut is in charge of Goa state.
Shiv Sena is likely to contest 20 odd seats during the assembly elections due next year. It has always supported the cause of linguistic politics and 'sons of the soil'. Shiv Sena is all too happy that a powerful faction of Goa RSS took up the fight with ruling BJP on the issue of stopping government aid to English language schools in Goa. Velingker, who led this faction, was recently sacked as chief of Goa RSS. He is the convenor of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch, an NGO which promotes Marathi-Konkani schools in Goa.
Raut is learnt to have told Sena leadership that party should form an alliance with the Velingker faction of RSS and BBSM.
On Monday, Velingker held a meeting of his supporters in Goa. It was decided at the meeting that BJP had failed to fulfil the promise it had given to voters on the issue of support to Marathi-Konkani schools. Shiv Sena is learnt to have conveyed to Velingker that it won't mind sharing seats with Velingker outfit, incase the latter were to directly take on BJP in an electoral contest.
