Team Herald
PANJIM: In all probability, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar may contest the bypoll from his bastion as Panjim legislator Sidharth Kuncalienker is likely to give up the seat for the former defence minister. A final decision will, however, be taken on Tuesday, as the party higher-ups have almost come to a conclusion following a series of meetings with office-bearers and workers.
Party sources told Herald that Parrikar has also shown his inclination to contest from here (Panjim), at a meeting with the party workers. “The karyakartas want Parrikar to contest from his traditional seat. They do not want him to fight the bypolls from any other constituency, and Parrikar has also shown his interest,” a party leader told Herald.
Panjim constituency has often been a cakewalk for the BJP for several years now. Kuncalienker, who got the constituency on platter after Parrikar’s elevation to the Central cabinet in 2014, retained the seat this election but with a small margin against the biggest rival Atanasio Monserrate. While Kuncalienker garnered 7924 votes, Monserrate, who is likely to re-contest from Panjim, had 6855 votes in his favour.
Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral, Calangute legislator Michael Lobo, Vasco’s Carlos Almeida and Sidharth himself were among six legislators who are ready to quit their seats to make way for Parrikar to enter the 40-member Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, the party has postponed its plan to reshuffle six mandals at Sanguem, Pernem, Mandrem, Canacona, Priol and Dabolim till the summer holidays. The party, during its executive meeting on April 21, had decided to change the local leadership in these six mandals within a fortnight. But, due to summer holidays, party general secretary Sadanand Tanawade said the changes would now happen only in June. Moreover, this time it will also consult the present committee members if they are in favour of the changes. The BJP Goa Unit had replaced two BJP mandal’s (Cumbarjua and Mayem) with new members, including the one headed by AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik’s son Siddesh, citing the committees’ inactiveness.
Siddesh, however, did not take it in good taste asking the BJP to prove where his committee went wrong. The party had clarified that the reshuffling was also because they were rewarding some of the existing leaders with a higher post.
