Goa elections: BJP releases 1st candidate list; CM Pramod Sawant to contest from Sanquelim

Announcing its first list of 34 candidates for the Goa Assembly election on Thursday, BJP revealed that CM Pramod Sawant will contest from the Sanquelim seat. Sawant commenced his electoral journey with a loss in the 2008 by-election to the Pale constituency but managed to win from Sanquelim in the 2012 and 2017 Assembly polls.

Moreover, Deputy CM Chandrakant Kavlekar has been nominated from Quepem once again. The other Deputy CM- Manohar Azgaonkar who is the sitting MLA from Pernem will take on Congress' potential CM face Digambar Kamar in Margao.

Journalist Savio Rodrigues, who is the founder of Goa Chronicle, will fight the polls from the Velim constituency. Overall, the list includes 11 OBC, 9 Christan and 6 new candidates. Aiming at ensuring adequate representation of the disadvantaged sections of society, the party has fielded 3 ST candidates and 1 SC candidate on general seats.

BJP Goa Assembly Elections Candidates List:

Addressing a press briefing, BJP's Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis stressed that his party will not have an alliance and contest all 40 seats in the state. 

Explaining the denial of the Panaji ticket to the late BJP stalwart Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal, Fadnavis said, "The sitting MLA has been given the ticket from Panaji. Utpal Parrikar and other members of Manohar Ji's family are like our family. They are close to us. We had given him two options (seats) to contest the election. He turned down the first option initially itself. We are in talks with him about the second option. We feel that he should accept it."

BJP gives tickets to two couples

On this occasion, Devendra Fadnavis also weighed in on BJP giving tickets to two couples - Vishwajit Rane (Valpoi) - Divya Rane (Poriem) and Atanasio Monseratte (Panaji) - Jennifer Monseratte (Taleigao) amid its tough stance on dynasty politics.

He opined, "Babush (Atanasio) Monseratte and his wife were elected and joined BJP. His wife Jennifer Monseratte has her own identity and she is a Minister in the BJP government at present".

In the case of the Rane couple, he claimed that Congress veteran Pratapsingh Rane had himself requested BJP to field his daughter-in-law Divya from Poriem instead of him. 

Fadnavis asserted, "The Poriem seat was Pratapsingh Rane's seat. Pratapsingh Rane won from that seat for 50 consecutive years on a Congress ticket. Congress has never lost from there. This time, we appealed to Pratapsingh Rane to give up his seat to BJP or fight on a BJP ticket or help BJP as Congress is on a downward spiral and it cannot work for the country's welfare. At that time, he agreed but said that I will not contest due to my advanced age and Divya Rane. BJP carries forward such decisions taken on sitting seats."