SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa is in the process of shortlisting women candidates for South Goa Parliamentary seat as per the request of the party’s central leadership.
The BJP central leadership has asked the State BJP to suggest some names of women candidates, who could be considered as probable candidates in addition to the existing three names already submitted to the Central Election Committee for South Goa constituency.
The State BJP had suggested the names of former Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, former MP Narendra Sawaikar and former MLA Damodar ‘Damu’ Naik as prospective candidates for the South Goa seat. Two other names considered by the party i.e. Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat were not considered as they were not interested in contesting Lok Sabha polls.
After attending the party’s core committee meeting in the capital city, Sawant said that the process to identify the probable candidates from among women party workers, well wishers, extended family, ‘parivar’ etc had already started. The party is looking for candidates whose thought processes are aligned with the party, he said adding that winnability will be the main criteria.
“As of now, no names have come. The BJP central leadership has also not suggested any names,” he claimed.
The names will be shortlisted by the scrutiny committee and will be sent to the party’s central election committee for consideration. The name of the candidate for the South Goa seat may be announced by the party in the second or third list of candidates, opined Sawant.
According to Sawant, the party has suggested including names of women as BJP is in the process of implementing 33 per cent political reservation criteria across the country within its own realms.
According to party sources, the core committee discussed the names of columnist Shefali Vaidya, South Goa ZP Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar and former Goa State Commission for Women Vidya Gaude for the South Goa seat. The name of Sulakshana Sawant, wife of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is also being considered.
The BJP had already announced the candidature of five-time MP and Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik for the North Goa seat as the BJP on Saturday the first list of 195 candidates for 2024 Lok Sabha elections to be held later this year.
