(click here to watch his full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YuZiXBBjws)
Kothambi (Pale): Pandurang Sawant, father of Dr Pramod Sawant, claims that the made up agenda of labeling his family and now his son, the chief minister as “outsider” is not a new thing for him.
Speaking to GNH on the eve of 50th Birthday of his son, Pandurang, who is a former BJP leader, said that the fake agenda terming them as non-Goans or outsiders has been paddled often but it did not disturbed neither him nor his son.
Sawant has been often labeled as outsider belonging to Sawantwadi from Maharashtra.
The father of the chief minister said that his family has been living at Kothambi village in North Goa from last four generations.
“My grandfather came here during his childhood from Undir village in Ponda (South Goa) where some of our family members still live. Our ancestral place is Parse in Pernem taluka of North Goa,” he said.
“When my son was chosen to contest the election on BJP ticket for the first time in the year 2008, we faced similar agenda. Someone went and told Manohar Parrikar that Sawant are outsiders,” he said adding that his family has no connection with Sawantwadi.
Pandurang, who is a former Zilla Panchayat member, recalls how one day, then Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar called him and his son to his chamber in Panaji to discuss something.
“Parrikar told me that he is asking my son to leave his government job as a doctor and join politics. He was also clear that Pramod will not win the first election but will have to hold on till next,” CM’s father recalls.
He said that he took no time in accepting what Parrikar said and Pramod immediately resigned from his government job. “I told Parrikar that even if Pramod loses the election, he won’t starve. We have decent income to make our ends meet,” Pandurang added.
The first election was fought by Dr Sawant was in the year 2008 which was a by-election necessitated due to death of sitting Pale MLA Gurudas Gawas. Sawant lost the election.
Sawant was elected for the first time to the Assembly in 2012 election and has continued his victory march. He was sworn in as Chief minister in the year 2019 after the demise of Parrikar. Pandurang narrates the day when Parrikar died.
“It was a mixed feeling for me. We had lost Parrikar but at the same time, I was also satisfied that Pramod is taking over as the CM. Pramod was trained by Parrikar in administration,” he said.
