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Mumbai: The tug-of-war over Utpal Parrikar and his candidature for the ensuing February 14 Goa assembly polls is just getting bigger by the day with rival political parties wooing him with ticket offers. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has repeated its offer of a party ticket to Parrikar junior, if he decides to join the party.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its “use and throw policy” with the late Manohar Parrikar’s family. He reiterated his offer to Utpal Parrikar, son of late BJP leader and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, that he would get a ticket from the AAP if he chose to join the party.
Kejriwal tweeted, “Goans feel very sad that the BJP has adopted (a) use and throw policy even with the Parrikar family. I have always respected Manohar Parrikar. Utpalji is welcome to join and fight elections on AAP ticket.”
The BJP which announced its first list of 34 candidates today, has not given Utpal Parrikar a ticket from Panaji. The Panaji seat was held almost continuously by the late Manohar Parrikar from 1994 until his death in March 2019.
The saffron party instead, has decided to field sitting Panaji MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate, a former Congressman who defected to the BJP in 2019 along with nine other Congress MLAs including his wife, Jennifer Monserrate. Utpal is upset over the party’s decision to field Monserrate from Panaji.
Parrikar junior hit out at the BJP brass for fielding a candidate with criminal antecedents instead of a member from the Parrikar’s family. Even as the BJP leadership vowed to carry forward the late Manohar Parrikar’s legacy.
According to sources in the BJP, the younger Parrikar lacks connect with the voters in Panaji and is not considered a ‘winning candidate’ according to the party brass.
Meanwhile, remarking that he would never compare himself with the late Parrikar, Monserrate said he had high regard for Manohar Parrikar and his family.
Babush Monserrate further remarked, “I can’t compare myself to Manohar Parrikar. He is the tallest leader the State has ever produced and he held the Panaji seat for nearly 25 years… It was only after his demise, and when people started missing him, that I got elected from Panaji…I do not say anything against anyone. But I want to say that the margin of victory in the coming election should be the highest the BJP has ever secured in Panaji.”
In the 2019 assembly by-election to the Panaji seat Monserrate had defeated the BJP’s candidate Sidharth Kuncalienkar, despite the saffron party hoping to ride a ‘sympathy wave’ following Parrikar’s demise.
