from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Nov 6: BJP’s Goa unit will have a new president in Shripad Naik who was elected to this coveted post on Monday.

Naik, a member of parliament from North Goa constituency, is the seniormost leader in the party organization and has been in this chair twice between 1990-95. Naik’s appointment marks culmination of three-year tenure of Rajendra Arlekar, who had headed this organization during its good and bad days.

BJP leader and central observer Nitin Gadkari was down in Goa to oversee the election process. “I am happy that Naik has been elected to the chair… He is the seniormost leader and he will lead the party in the state legislative assembly elections, next year,” Gadkari told mediapersons on Monday afternoon.

The party is preparing to face elections next year, which, they feel, will provide a golden opportunity to bounce back to power. “We have proved that we can govern better… so we know that people will give us a chance to rule.. we are looking out for a complete majority,” Naik told reporters.

BJP, which earlier had alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), today indicated that they may not go for the pre-poll alliances. “We want absolute  majority in the elections so that we can serve the people better,” Naik said.

What is significant about Naik’s appointment is that the BJP has indicated that they are wooing the Bhandari community in the state, which has been strongly behind Congress or other regional outfits like MGP. Naik is a Bhandari community leader and is considered as BJP's answer to the popularity of Goa Pradesh Congress committee president Ravi Naik in this community.