PANJIM/MANDREM: Miffed over the denial of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tickets, Utpal Parrikar, son of former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar and former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday declared that they will contest the upcoming Assembly election as Independent candidates.
Utpal resigned from the primary membership of the party while, Parsekar is likely to quit the party on Saturday.
Addressing a press conference at Panjim, Utpal said, “Time has come for me to stand for values preserved by his father late Manohar Parrikar. I tried to convince my party in 2019 by-election and this time also that I enjoy support of party workers, who have been in the BJP for last 30 years and who toiled with my father to build the party in Panjim constituency.”
Utpal said in spite of enjoying support of workers and people of Panjim for some reason he was unable to get the candidature for Panjim constituency and it was given to someone (Babush Monserrate), who had opportunistically joined BJP two years ago. “Due to these circumstances I have no choice but to stand for values my father believed in and go ahead and let people of Panjim decide my fate,” he said announcing his candidature from Panjim as an Independent candidate.
“I am giving an honest and educated choice to the people of Goa. I am ashamed about the reputation of the BJP candidate from Panjim”, he said.
Meanwhile, some senior BJP members are supporting Utpal Parrikar. BJP member and former spokesman Dattaprasad Naik in a WhatsApp message said, “Utpal Manohar Parrikar has tendered his resignation as the primary member of Bharatiya Janata Party. He will be contesting the February 14 election as an Independent candidate. We seek your blessings and support.”
Speaking to media persons, Parsekar said, “Instead of saying that I am quitting the party, it is the party, which has sidelined me due to which I am left with no option other than leave the party and contest as an Independent candidate.”
Parsekar said he will also resign from the manifesto committee which he was heading.
Regretting that a person, who took the party from the grassroots, had to go through such a situation, he said not only in Mandrem but all over Goa, the BJP will suffer for its mistakes.
Recalling his defeat in 2017 elections while he was the Chief Minister, Parsekar said the people
of Mandrem will create another history by electing an Independent candidate.
“Independent candidate has never won the Mandrem seat but this time people will create history”, he said.
Without naming the parties, Parsekar said he was approached by two political parties, which had entered into the State politics recently but he thought that he should not join them.
When asked whether he would extend his support to BJP, if elected, Parsekar said, “Whoever forms the government, I will make sure that the government stays accountable to everyone.”
Parsekar said in last five years, sitting MLA Dayanand Sopte had done zero development works and did not bother about the ongoing projects, which were proposed by him in the constituency.
Claiming that the party’s national leaders had been assuring him about the ticket to contest the upcoming elections, Parsekar alleged that one “Dhond” was controlling the affairs of the party in the State and he was out to finish him politically. Though he refrained from naming the “Dhond” he was referring to it was evident that his tirade was against BJP general secretary (organisation) Satish Dhond.
