Exclusive | BJP offered two seats to Utpal Parrikar for contesting Goa polls, says Devendra Fadnavis

Goa Elections 2022: The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Goa election in charge Devendra Fadnavis on Friday spoke exclusively to India TV ahead of assembly elections in Goa. He said that the BJP offered Utpal Parrikar, son of late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, two constituencies to contest election in the upcoming Goa Assembly polls. One of those is considered a safe party seat. 

Utpal Parrikar who quit the BJP, announced to contest next month's Goa Assembly elections from Panaji as an independent. Utpal wanted to contest polls from Panaji, the seat represented by his father in the Legislative Assembly. The BJP, however, preferred Atanasio Babush Monserrate, a Congress alum, over Utpal from Panaji. Monserrate is a sitting MLA and a former Congress leader. 

Speaking to India TV, Fadnavis said "Babush was made a minister by Manohar Parrikar and he must have BJP's expansion plans in mind for the state." "We can't doubt Parrikar's intentions. He had a clean image," he added. 

Parrikar was denied ticket by the BJP from Panaji, a constituency which his father and party veteran had represented for more than two decades. Upset over the decision, Parrikar quit the BJP and said he wil fight the February 14 elections from the Panaji seat as an independent. The BJP has nominated from Panaji its sitting MLA Atanasio Monserrate, one of ten legislators who had joined the saffron party in July 2019 after quitting Congress. Monserrate is facing criminal cases, including a case of rape of a minor.

Utpal Parrikar said that quitting the party was the "most difficult" decision, but he is ready to withdraw from the poll race if the saffron party fields a "good candidate" from the constituency.

When asked about going alone in this year's assembly polls, Fanavis said, " BJP now has a big support base in Goa. We have sizeable number of both voters and cadres in every consituency in the state and our cadre feel that we should contest in all 40 seats in the polls." 

Former Chief Minister and BJP Leader of Opposition also said "we tried to forge alliance with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) but they decided to go with Trinamool Congress (TMC)." 

On TMC contesting Goa polls, he said, "the people of Goa have rejected TMC. People saw how Hindus were targeted in West Bengal  after the assembly election results there and there's a natural reaction to it here in Goa where people feel its anti-Hindu party."

The ruling BJP has managed to contain dissent in most areas in the run up to the Goa Assembly polls scheduled for February 14, but four seats, including the prestigious Panaji constituency, continue to be a cause for worry. In Mandrem, former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who was the BJP's manifesto committee head, has quit the party and is contesting as an Independent against Dayanand Sopte, who had beaten him as a Congressman in 2017. 

In Sanguem, Savitri Kavlekar, the wife of deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavelar, who had joined the BJP from the Congress, has rebelled and is contesting against the ruling party's Subhash Phaldesai, a former MLA. In Cumbharjua, the BJP has managed to calm down Siddhesh, son of Union minister Shripad Naik, who had announced he would contest as an Independent candidate after being denied a ticket by the ruling party. However, BJP candidate Jainita Madkaikar, wife of sitting MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, will have to contend with former colleague Rohan Harmalkar, who is contesting as an Independent candidate from Cumbharjua.

Goa will go to the assembly polls on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. 

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