Team Herald
PANJIM: Four former Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs and the State party president are among seven candidates shortlisted by the BJP as possible candidates for the lone Rajya Sabha seat, the election of which is scheduled next month.
Former Speaker Rajendra Arlekar, ex-Panjim MLA Sidharth Kunkalienkar, Damu Naik, Keshav Prabhu, BJP State President Vinay Tendulkar, General Secretary Sadanand Shet Tanawade and Treasurer Sanjiv Desai were the names discussed during the core committee meeting held on Saturday.
Party sources said the names will now be discussed with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and national organisation joint secretary B L Santosh next week. The names were revealed though internal sources within the party, a day after the legislative wing met to deliberate on the candidate.
While Arlekar is said to be the frontrunner, Kunkalienkar is also a strong contender as he recently quit as Panjim MLA to pave the way for Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to enter the Assembly. Arlekar, who was also minister for Forests, Environment and Panchayats, lost to MGP’s Manohar Azgaonkar in the recent Assembly elections.
Earlier on Friday, the party legislative wing met to discuss on possible candidates. “Parrikar will take a final call after discussions from all concerned. At present the party high command in Delhi is being updated on the developments in the State and some names have been sent for approval,” a party source said.
It is also learnt that the alliance partners will be informed about the candidate thereafter. “Any BJP leader or ex-BJP minister/legislator, who is a loyal soldier of the party as well as deserving to the post, should be nominated,” one of those who attended the meeting said.
Goa is currently represented by Shantaram Naik of the Congress, whose term in the House ends on July 28. Elections to the RS will be held on June 8.
Congress is also yet to finalise a candidate, its leaders have said the party will field a candidate who is acceptable to non-BJP parties also.
