Panaji, Nov 11 In a bid to lure the politically crucial OBC segment in Goa, referred to locally as the 'bahujan samaj', Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said that his AAP's Chief Minister face in the upcoming Assembly polls would be from the OBC community and a Catholic the Deputy Chief Minister candidate.
Addressing a press conference, Sisodia also said that the OBC community in Goa, which is the state's largest caste collective, had been deprived of political leadership in the state since 60 years of its Liberation.
"Goa has not had a single Chief Minister who has completed a full five year term. You are aware that the majority of people are from the bahujan samaj and among the OBCs, the Bhandaris are a majority," he said.
"If you see Goa's population, more than 30 per cent are from the Bhandari samaj and they have contributed greatly towards the state, yet no party has made any person from the Bhandari samaj as the CM," he added.
"Everyone wishes that for the upcoming elections, the AAP chooses a CM face from the Bhandari samaj. The question of the Bhandari samaj is that, if there is so much we can contribute, why can't the CM face be from our community. What is it that we are lacking? Why do political parties do not like to appoint us as leaders or making the CM face," Sisodia said, adding that the OBCs in the state had been "treated unjustly" and cast aside after elections by all parties.
"With this step we will help mitigate the disaffection the Bhandari samaj has had towards politics, their self confidence will grow and will work for everyones welfare, employment, electricity, etc," he said.
Elections to the Goa Assembly are scheduled to be held in early 2022.
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