Bengaluru: BJP president Amit Shah homed in on an issue that could swing a major chunk of the votes in the critical Bombay-Karnataka region in the poll bound state, pulling in Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar for a key meeting with state BJP leaders, and promising to end the impasse over the row on sharing of the Mahadayi waters ahead of elections in May.
At a meeting at his residence in Delhi on Wednesday, he directed Mr Parrikar to consider the drinking water needs of 11 taluks in north Karnataka, telling the Goa chief minister that Karnataka’s demand for sharing of 7.56 tmc of water for drinking water from the Mahadayi river through Kalasa-Banduri Nala will not affect the interest of Goa.
Sources close to the state BJP told this newspaper that, Mr Shah called only the top leaders of the BJP for the confabulation, including party Chief Ministerial candidate B.S.Yeddyurappa, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Hubballi- Dharwad MP, Pralhad Joshi and Union Ministers Ananth Kumar, D.V. Sadananda Gowda.
Mr Shah has categorically told Goa Chief Minister that the party should resolve the Mahadayi crisis at the earliest, since the party, out of government since 2014 is going to face public ire in 2018 if it’s not resolved as it is BJP-run Goa that is opposed to the move.
Mr Shah spelled out the tight political situation, the BJP is facing in the state on the issue, with the Congress government accusations that the BJP government in Goa was solely responsible for opposing the project, having a negative fallout for the state BJP unit.
Mr Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar explained that proposed Kalasa- Banduri drinking water project would directly impact 25 Assembly constituencies, across 11 taluks, if the party failed to fulfil its promise to clear the project. BJP leaders said that with an allocation of 7.5 tmc feet of water, drinking water can be supplied to Hubballi-Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot and some part of Belagavi districts.
Mr Parrikar however has not signalled he will be amenable to the request of Central BJP and state BJP leaders and would only say that he will convene an all party meeting and discuss the matter with his state Cabinet. He is reportedly inclined towards waiting for a final award from the Mahadayee water disputes tribunal instead of resolving the issue in an out of court settlement.
Mr Parrikar also said that though BJP agreed to share the water, Goa Congress will not allow it to happen, it will oppose its tooth and nail for the project.
