Goa, 21 January 2022: Three times Goa CM and former union minister Manohar Parrikar‘s son Utpal Parrikar, left BJP today as his ticket to contest in his father’s constituency, Panaji, Goa in the coming assembly election.
He announced that he would contest as an independent candidate and said that its the time to take some stand for his values. He also said that the people of Panaji can decide his political fate.
His father, Manohar Parrikar is the BJP’s most important leader in Goa. He ruled the Panaji constituency for 25 years, till his death in 2019. However, the party decided to go with MLA Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate for the same constituency over Utpal Parrikar.
Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate was the lifelong rival of late Manohar Parrikar, which made this choice controversial.
Utpal Parrikar said, “I tried my best even during last and this election to convince my party that I enjoyed not only the support of all the party members, I also enjoy the support of general people of Panaji. Despite that, I am unable to get the candidature of the Panaji constituency. It has been given to someone who has opportunistically come to the party in the last two years… That’s why I want to go ahead and let the people of Panaji decide my political fate.”
After this, AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal welcomed Utpal Parrikar to his party and requested him to contest in Panaji as an AAP candidate. In his tweet, he told, ” Utpal Ji is welcome to join and fight elections on AAP ticket. I have always respected Manohar Parrikar Ji… Goans feel very sad that BJP has adopted a use-and-throw policy even with the Parrikar family.”
But, BJP offered him 2 different constituencies instead of Panaji as the party doesn’t want to take a bet in Panaji.
The Election for the 40 member Goa state assembly will be held on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.
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