Utpal Parrikar, son of the late BJP leader and former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
Gomantak Times
Bhartiya Janata Party has denied a ticket to Utpal Parrikar, son of the late BJP leader and former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, for Panaji ahead of next month's Goa Assembly election.
BJP has allotted the crucial seat to the sitting MLA Atanasio Monserrate.
Goa BJP election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis said BJP has offered Utpal Parrikar other 'options' in a bid to get him to not contest from the Panaji assembly seat in Goa.
"Utpal Parrikar was given an option to choose from two other constituencies instead of Panaji. He declined one while discussion on other constituency is underway," Devendra Fadnavis told reporters after announcing the first list of candidates.
When asked why Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and Atanasio Monserrate's wives have been given tickets for Poriem and Taleigao respectively, Fadnavis said allocating tickets to family members in Goa is an "occupational hazard".
However, Utpal Parrikar is reportedly firm on contesting from Panaji. Speaking to reporters shortly after BJP released its first list, Utpal refused BJP's offer of two other seats and said he will take a decision soon. "I will clear my stand soon," he said.
Manohar Parrikar was elected from Panaji six times beginning in 1994.
BJP has released its first list of candidates for next month's Goa Assembly Elections.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will contest from Sanquelim while Divya Rane, the wife of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, has been named candidate from the Poriem seat. She may face former chief minister and her father-in-law Pratap Singh Rane in the election. Vishwajit Rane will contest from Valpoi.
Former Social welfare Minister Milind Naik, who resigned as minister over alleged scandal case, has been given candidature from Mormugao.
Meanwhile, the Opposition parties have rallied around the issue, with the Shiv Sena and the Aam Aadmi Party both promising Utpal a ticket. Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the Goa BJP was ‘insulting’ the Parrikar family and called upon all the Opposition parties to support Utpal by not fielding any candidate against him in Panaji.
In the 2017 Assembly polls, Congress had won 17 seats in the tiny coastal state to emerge as the single largest party. However, the BJP, which was in second place in terms of seats, quickly stitched an alliance with smaller parties and Independent MLAs to form its government in Goa.
The election for the 40 seats will take place on February 14, and the ballots will be counted on March 10.
