The BJP today announced its first lot of candidates for Goa with a big omission – Utpal Parrikar, the son of former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The party has rejected Utpal Parrikar for his father’s seat Panaji and chosen Congress alum Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate instead.
Utpal Parrikar is reportedly firm on contesting from Panaji and has refused the BJP’s offer of two other seats. “I will clear my stand soon,” he told reporters.
The BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis said Utpal had been offered two other options. “We feel he should accept it. BJP has always given respect to the Parrikar Parivar,” Mr Fadnavis said, hoping to stave off a revolt.
In the byelection after Mr Parrikar’s death, Babush Monserrate won as a Congress candidate but later switched to the BJP.
Utpal Parrikar, an engineering graduate, has been priming for a Panaji contest. He has been meeting people in the constituency and has also visited temples over the past few months, while declaring that he is ready to fight polls.
But in a clear hint that things would not go his way, Mr Fadnavis had said no one should expect to be a candidate just because they are family.
“Manohar Parrikar did a lot of work to establish the BJP in Goa. But nobody gets a ticket in the BJP just because they are the son of Manohar Parrikar or some leader. If they have worked, they are considered,” Mr Fadnavis had said.
The BJP did give in to “Family First” in Goa when it came to two other leaders, whose wives have been named candidates as well.
The party has fielded not just Babush Monseratte but also his wife Jennifer Monseratte from the Taleigao constituency. Goa minister Vishwajit Rane and his wife Divya Vishwajit are both on the list. Divya Vishwajit has been pitted against her father-in-law Pratapsinh Rane, the Congress candidate from Poriem constituency.
