PANAJI: One of the well-educated, soft-spoken, sincere and committed faces of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa, party vice president Valmiki Naik has finally got his due respect and place in the party.
According to AAP sources, Naik’s name has been cleared for the post of State President by the Goa unit of the party after discussions with the party MLAs and has been sent for the mandatory ceremonial approval to Delhi.
After former Goa AAP president Amit Palekar and a host of other senior workers quit the party, there was a vacuum in the leadership of the Goa unit. Palekar was unceremoniously removed from the post of State President after the party performed very badly in the Zilla Panchayat polls held recently.
General Secretary (Organisation) Srikrishna Parab was appointed interim president, but he too quit along with others, causing a temperory leadership crisis in the party rank and file in Goa.
Party sources said AAP’s Goa in-charge Atishi was in Goa yesterday (Friday) and had a series of meetings with office bearers and party workers.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, working president Gerson Gomes and vice president Prashant Naik’s names were considered, but Valmiki Naik was chosen, because he was acceptable to workers from both North and South Goa. Viegas lost out because of his publicity-hungry, camera-loving, “I first” nature, while the other two were not acceptable to the rank and file party workers across the state.
Naik who has been with the AAP in Goa since 2012 is considered a loyal, mature and seasoned, yet humble and down-to-earth leader and it was these attributes that the party leadership decided to take into account while selecting him for the top State post. An official announcement will be made either today or tomorrow.
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