Team Herald
PANJIM: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Panaji candidate Valmiki Naik on Sunday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for using the victory of Atanasio Babush Monserrate on Congress ticket as a reason to give him a BJP ticket this election.
The ECI had previously asked each political party to explain why they had selected a candidate with criminal antecedents and had not selected a candidate without criminal antecedents.
The BJP government on Sunday published the details regarding criminal cases of each candidate along with a reason for such selection on the Home Page of its official website in the spirit of the apex court judgment.
In its description of the qualifications of the Panjim candidate, the BJP government says Babush is a senior politician who has represented the constituency multiple times and has a thorough understanding of the ground reality of Panjim.
Reacting to this Naik said, “When Babush had represented the constituency multiple times? He had won once that too on the Congress ticket, then the BJP government bought him. This is nothing but winnability through money and muscle power. That is the only understanding that Babush has of the constituency.”
In its description of the qualifications of the Panjim candidate, the BJP government says Babush is a senior politician who has represented the constituency multiple times and has a thorough understanding of the ground reality of Panjim.
Reacting to this Naik said, “When Babush had represented the constituency multiple times? He had won once that too on the Congress ticket, then the BJP government bought him. This is nothing but winnability through money and muscle power. That is the only understanding that Babush has of the constituency.”
ECI has also requested other parties to provide reasons behind candidates without criminal records not selected as candidates. BJP says it believes in a candidate who will best meet the aspirations of the electorate.
Naik said, “BJP campaigners have now realised that Babush does not represent the aspirations of his constituents.”
