New Delhi, May 14 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party chief J.P. Nadda has asked Goa's Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane to keep aside their differences and focus on controlling the Covid pandemic in the state.

Amid the worsening situation in Goa, differences between Sawant and Rane over Covid management have come to the fore.

The central leadership of the party believes that it will harm the BJP a year ahead of the state Assembly polls.

The Assembly polls are likely to be scheduled in the first quarter of next year.

Taking note of reports of differences between the Chief Minister and the Health Minister, Nadda spoke with them and suggested that they reconcile their differences and avoid expressing them in public.

A well placed source in the BJP said that party chief Nadda had a word with both the leaders (Sawant and Rane) over their differences and advised that instead of publicly airing their differences they must concentrate on controlling the situation in the state.

"Nadda's advice is loud and clear that they must leave their differences and work for controlling the situation to save lives of people. He said that their only priority is to work for Goans and everything coming in the way of serving the people must be kept aside. They have been asked to work in coordination without creating any new controversy," he said.

A senior saffron party leader, who is aware of the happenings in Goa, said that the Chief Minister and Health Minister should talk less and work more.

"Differences between Sawant and Rane are not new. It is a clash of egos rather than differences over handling of the Covid situation which has created a controversy, showing cracks in the government. Hope that acting on the advice of the party chief they will work together in controlling Covid in Goa," he said.

The differences between Sawant and Rane came out in the open over Goa's Covid management. A senior party leader said that the differences have deepened after the death of Covid patients at the Goa Medical College, a state government managed health facility.