Laxmikant Parsekar Biography, Age, Career, Net Worth, Interview

Laxmikant Parsekar Biography

Laxmikant Parsekar is an Indian politician who held the office of the Chief Minister of Goa, a state in India from 2014 to 2017.

He was the member of the Goa Legislative Assembly from Mandrem constituency, and he belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was appointed as the Chief Minister of Goa on 8 November 2014, replacing Manohar Parrikar. During the Goa Assembly Election in 2017, he lost from his seat of Mandrem. He resigned on 11 March 2017.

Laxmikant Parsekar Age

Laxmikant Yashwant Parsekar was born as Laxmikant Yashwant Parsekar on 4 July 1956 in Pernem taluka, India. He is 62 years old as of 2018.

Laxmikant Parsekar Spouse

He is married to Smita.

Laxmikant Parsekar

Laxmikant Parsekar Net Worth

She gets a salary of ‎INR 20,000

Laxmikant Parsekar Career

He served as Goa’s Minister of Health before becoming Chief Minister and has a strong connection to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

• In 1988, he contested and lost against sitting MLA and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidate Ramakant Khalap from Mandrem constituency, as a candidate of the BJP, then a virtual non-entity in Goa. He was instrumental in building the BJP’s support base along with political veterans like Manohar Parrikar, Rajendra Arlekar, now Goa Assembly Speaker, and Shripad Naik, Union Minister of State for Health[AAYUSH Department].
• From 1994 to 1999, he served as a General Secretary of the Goa BJP
• In 1999, he contested and lost again to Ramakant Khalap, but in 2002, he defeated Khalap by a small margin of 750 votes.
• While he did not serve in the first BJP government in Goa, Parsekar served as the President of the BJP Goa Unit from 2000 to 2003 and then from 2010 to 2012.
• In 2007, he doubled his victory margin in the Mandrem seat.
• In 2012, he was re-elected when the BJP posted a remarkable victory, winning 21 out of 40 seats during the Goa Legislative Assembly election, 2012.
• After Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet as India’s Defense Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar was sworn in as his replacement on November 8, 2014.
• In 2017, he lost the Mandrem assembly seat to Dayanand Sopte of the Indian National Congress. He resigned as Chief Minister on March 11, 2017.

Laxmikant Parsekar Education

He has done his M.Sc and B.Ed from Centre of Post Graduate Instruction & Research, Panaji, Goa. He was the principal of Harmal Panchakroshi Secondary School, Harmal, Goa.

Laxmikant Parsekar Interview

The BJP has grown among all religions and castes

Published On January 22, 2017

From a primary school teacher to chief minister, Laxmikant Parsekar has come a long way. In his first election in 1989, he won just 365 votes and lost his deposit. On his second try, he lost, but kept his deposit, and distributed sweets in his constituency for the achievement. He first won in 2002 and, ever since, the margin of victory has been increasing. A humble Parsekar spoke to THE WEEK as he was about to leave for his constituency, Mandrem, for a quick half-day campaign. Excerpts from an interview:

How will the alliance between the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Goa Suraksha Manch and Shiv Sena affect your prospects?

Our track record is too good. But, I will not underestimate any political force. The MGP attacked us at the last moment. They had already planned and decided to part ways. The BJP has grown across the state, among all religions and castes. Hence, I don’t think they will have any impact on the BJP.

You saw Subhash Velingkar as a father figure. What went wrong?

It was about the medium of instruction at the primary level. We favoured Konkani and Marathi. He was also of the same opinion. But, our state has 134 primary schools that were using English as the medium of instruction. They had been getting grants since the days of the Congress rule. We did not want to upset that. Moreover, the goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas [together with all, development for all]. So, we said no to Velingkar’s demand.

The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that your government is targeting its chief minister candidate Elvis Gomes.

One can claim to be chief ministerial candidate only when one can get 21 legislators elected. The MGP has declared its chief minister candidate, so has the AAP. But, surveys done by independent agencies indicate that the AAP will get two or three seats, as will the MGP. So, why should we be worried about them? If he [Gomes] has committed any blunder, he should face consequences. There is no vendetta at all.

The Congress is trying to put together an alliance of likeminded parties to counter the BJP.

They should; our popularity is so high that they are worried. It is a question of their survival. They have been forced to come together.

There is criticism that you are a puppet chief minister and Manohar Parrikar is actually the man in control.

Manohar Parrikar and Shripad Naik are elderly figures in the party. They are my friends, guides and philosophers. When I contested an election for the first time, Manohar had come to stay with me and help me for 20 to 25 days.

People are not saying this; the opposition is making this charge. I am certainly not high profile. Ours is team work; Laxmikant Parsekar has his limitations. When he became defence minister and I took over, there was a lot of criticism that I could never become like Parrikar. I was firm in my reply that I will continue to be Laxmikant Parsekar. And, I have done a lot of things since I took over.

Are you confident that you will get Christian votes this time?

Certainly, we will.

Is there interference from the church in ticket distribution?

Not at all. This has never happened. We will give ticket only on the basis of a candidate’s ability to win.

How many seats are you hoping to win?

For the first time, we will be contesting 36 seats out of 40. I am confident that we will win 18 seats, in the worst-case scenario, and 30 in the best-case scenario.

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