Team Herald
PANJIM: The BJP has been pushed into a corner over the impending bypolls in Mandrem and Shiroda as after alliance partner MGP announced that it would contest in both constituencies there is now a revolt by a senior party member.
Former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar has openly challenged the party stating that if he isn’t given ticket he would contest as an Independent.
“I have been traditionally contesting from this constituency. Party workers want me to contest the bypoll. They feel that if the BJP does not give me a ticket, then I should stand as an Independent,” Parsekar said.
Parsekar said he had met BJP state general secretary Satish Dhond and asked him to carry out a survey to gauge the party’s chances of winning the Mandrem seat. Without naming new entrant to the party Dayanand Sopte, the former CM said local party workers had not accepted the ‘new person’.
Mandrem and Shiroda seat fell vacant after then Congress MLAs Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar resigned from the Assembly and joined BJP in October last year.
Asked about the candidate for the bypolls, State BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar said the process to select a party candidate for Mandrem and Shiroda constituencies had not yet started.
