MUMBAI: Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP) was the sole party to represent Hindus till 1989 and the BJP wasn't really willing to grow at the expense of the age-old party by leading a division of Hindu votes in Goa. However, a chance interaction between Manohar Parrikar and the then union minister MGP's Ramakant Khalap changed the course.
Parrikar - who was the RSS man in charge of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in Goa back then - was planning an extensive signature campaign to appeal Centre to clear the way for the temple at Ram Janmabhoomi.
During that phase, he happened to meet Khalap and shared the idea. Khalap, who was the minister in V P Singh cabinet, expressed his inability to sign any such petition saying that if he signs it India's oil supply would immediately stop.
"That was the moment of awakening for us," Parrikar used to describe later.
"We were fearing divide in Hindu votes and hence had avoided fielding BJP candidates in Goa till then. But, once we realised the hollowness of their principles, we started fielding candidates and soon BJP emerged as a significant force in Goa politics," Parrikar had said more than once while describing the rise of BJP in Goa.
Though BJP started fielding candidates in Goa since 1990, the success eluded them. In 1994 the party could win first four seats in Goa assembly. Parrikar was part of that first batch of BJP MLAs in Goa.
His studious approach helped him expose several wrong things in Goa politics which won him the post of leader of opposition in 1999.
The turn of events in local politics made him Chief Minister in 2000. In 2002 he helped his party to emerge as the largest single party and become Chief Minister yet again. In 2005 defection of four MLAs pulled down Parrikar government and he also lost 2007 elections. However, he bounced back in 2012 to win a complete majority.
The MGP on the other had witnessed a steady decline in support through all these years and due to unmindful tie-ups with notorious players in state politics also saw an erosion of people's trust in the party.