Did MoI issue force Khaunte to go solo?

PANJIM: In a daring move by which he hopes to turn history around, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte filed his nomination as an independent candidate again. Accompanied by a large number of supporters wearing T-shirts and caps bearing his name, Khaunte filed his nomination for the Porvorim constituency on Tuesday. Since statehood, no Independent MLA has been re-elected in Goa unless contesting on a party ticket.

Asked what makes him contest as an Independent again, he said that despite having a BJP government at the Centre, the state government had failed to bring development. “The BJP has taken many U-turns on issues like special status, regional plan, casinos etc and have lost the right to seek re-election,” he said. He said the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has failed to protect not just the armed forces but Goa too.

It is not that Khaunte was not interested in any party. He was closely associated with Goa Forward, which he also mentored for a while. However, due to the party’s stand on grants to English Medium Schools, Khaunte felt he should go the other way.