On the third anniversary of the passing of his father, the late Defense Minister and former Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar, things appeared to have improved between the party and Parrikar’s son, Utpal Parrikar.
Utpal Parrikar resigned from the party before the legislative assembly elections on February 14 in Goa. He ran as an independent candidate, directly challenging the BJP’s candidate, Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate.
Senior BJP leaders, including the acting Chief Minister, the Goa BJP President, other state leaders, and his election opponent, Panaji MLA Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate, paid their respects to Parrikar at his memorial near Miramar beach in Panaji. Utpal and his family were present to welcome them as Sawant laid a wreath at Parrikar’s statue.
Defeated by Monserrate by a narrow margin of 716 votes in the Panaji assembly seat, Utpal told reporters that by running as an independent candidate, he had proven his ability to win. He believed that with the BJP’s symbol, he would have won more comfortably.
In the Goan capital, Monserrate received 6,787 votes while Utpal received 6,071. Congress’s Elvis Gomes, who came in third, garnered 3,175 votes.
Leading up to the election, Utpal had hoped to receive a BJP ticket to contest the Panaji seat, but the party chose Monserrate, the incumbent MLA, who represented the seat previously held by the late Parrikar.
Utpal expressed satisfaction with his campaign, stating that he had demonstrated his ability to win even though he did not succeed. He believed he could have garnered more votes with the lotus symbol, similar to the number his father used to receive.
While Utpal did not regret running as an independent candidate, he left the door open for a return to the BJP in the future, emphasizing his commitment to addressing the concerns of the people of Panaji.
Following the election results, the BJP’s Goa election in-charge expressed disappointment over Utpal’s defeat, indicating that he would have been an MLA if he had remained with the party.
Sawant paid tribute to Parrikar at his memorial, highlighting his contributions to Goa’s infrastructure. He shared a photo of himself shaking hands with Parrikar in the legislative assembly, praising him as a source of inspiration and guidance in serving the people with integrity.
Overall, the event was a time for reflection on Parrikar’s legacy and the ongoing political dynamics in Goa.
