Former Goa minister Francisco Mickky Pacheco on Friday lodged a police complaint against Subhash Velingkar, former state unit chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, accusing of making statements aimed at creating disharmony between two communities.
The BJP has the cadres, organisation, and extensive funding. But in the absence of a towering political personality like Manohar Parrikar, the Goa outcome is hard to predict.
Upset with the removal of Subhash Velingkar as Goa RSS chief, over 300 Sangh workers have annouced that they will quit the organisation and vowed to "defeat" the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly polls next year if he is not reinstated.
Even as a large number of RSS workers and supporters, including some office bearers, have pledged support to Velingkar, who was removed as the state chief recently, a sizable number of swayamsevaks are averse to part ways with the Sangh.
Sukerkar was among the leaders who had resigned from their posts after the RSS axed Velignkar as state unit chief, after his BBSM.
A day after being booted out by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh from the post of Goa unit chief, Subhash Velingkar asserts that the Bharatiya Janata Party will pay dearly for his ouster.
Subhash Velingkar floated a new party in Goa and vowed to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming assembly polls
He was reacting to the statements of senior local RSS leaders Ratnakar Lele, Datta Bhikaji Naik and others who called his decision to form a 'Goa Prant' of RSS, separate from the Konkan Prant, as 'unfortunate'.
Sources said that Velingkar was planning to float a new political outfit to fight the ruling BJP in the state which has not gone down well with the RSS.
The alliance, which is contesting in all 35 out of the 40 seats in the Goa assembly has announced Sudin Dhavalikar as their chief ministerial face.
Here is Rediff.com's selection of some stories from Thursday that you may not have read in the morning newspaper.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which entered the fray with much fanfare, failed to make any impact at the hustings.
'His success confirms that the infirm 132-year-old party can still get to its feet if it allows regional leaders to come to the fore,' argues Amulya Ganguli.
It was alleged that Sidhu violated the model code of conduct as he, along with his family, entered the premises of the booth in private cars.
The 'defective medals' have brought shame to the organisers of the Lusofonia Games. Three Goan athletes have returned their medals won at the Lusofonia Games-2014 in Goa after they allegedly began losing sheen, leaving the organisers red-faced even as they stopped payment to the medals' manufacturers.
"The people of Goa demand that we should send Parrikar back to the state," Shah said.
'We do not oppose any parent admitting his child to any English school.' 'We are opposed to the government grants that are to be given to such institutions.' 'If local languages are to be kept alive, at least they have to be taught at the primary level.'
A potpourri of political parties are in the fray in Goa.
The assembly polls are seen as a test of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity, especially in the wake of demonetisation.
Party also concerned about dissension in Uttarakhand and erosion of support in Goa
The results will be seen as a virtual referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity after his demonetisation decision.