BJP offers two choices in a bid to placate a hurt Utpal Parrikar, he rejects one offer

@the_news_21

Mumbai: In a bid to placate a visibly hurt Utpal Manohar Parrikar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday offered him choice of two assembly constituencies, but has denied him ticket from his late fathers home constituency of Panaji. Predictably, a hurt Utpal Parrikar has turned down one of the offers made to him. The party however has not disclosed the offer made to Utpal Parrikar.

The BJP has denied late Manohar Parrikar’s son, Utpal Parrikar, a ticket from Panaji. Instead, it has decided to stick with former minister and incumbent MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate from Panaji. Utpal Parrikar had been critical of the party leadership over the ticket distribution.

Commenting upon the offers made to Utpal Parrikar, Goa BJP election in-charge, Devendra Fadnavis remarked, “We have given Utpal two other options to contest, one of which he has refused. We hope he accepts the second option.” He further added that the BJP has always respected the late Manohar Parrikar’s family.

Ending the suspense over ticket allocation, the BJP parliamentary board announced its first list of 34 candidates for the upcoming Goa Assembly election. Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant will be contesting from his home turf of Sanquelim.

The list includes nine Catholic Christian candidates, 11 other backward caste (OBC) candidates, while three ST candidates and one SC candidate will be contesting on general seats.

Both, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiv Sena have taken full advantage of the disquiet within the BJP over the alleged shabby, rough-shod treatment being meted out to Utpal Parrikar.

Earlier in the month, AAP National Convenor and New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while speaking to newspersons in Panaji stated that he had great respect for the late Manohar Parrikar and that his son was welcome to join AAP.

Senior Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut had called upon all the non-BJP parties not to field their candidates against Utpal Parrikar if the latter decides to contest the forthcoming Goa assembly polls on February 14. He argued that by not fielding any candidate against Utpal Parrikar, it would be a fitting tribute to late Manohar ‘Bhai’.