BJP to name its candidate today

NT NETWORK

Panaji

The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party said the name of the BJP candidate for May 19 Panaji bypoll will be announced on Sunday, just as top state leaders of the party continued interaction with the members of the Panaji BJP Mandal to reach a consensus over the party’s candidate, who will be chosen by the BJP’s central election committee.

State BJP president Vinay Tendulkar told ‘The Navhind Times’ that shortlisted names of Utpal Parrikar and Sidharth Kunkalienkar have already been forwarded to the party’s central election committee, two days ago.

“All the top national leaders of the BJP, including national BJP president Amit Shah were in Varanasi, for  the past two days for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow and the filing of his nomination papers,” Tendulkar added, pointing out, “these leaders would be reaching Delhi by today (Saturday) late evening and then finalise the Panaji bypoll candidate.”

“We will know about the candidate late night today or tomorrow early morning,” he stated, maintaining that the name would be officially announced by Sunday noon.

The last day for filing of nomination papers for the Panaji byelection is April 29. The Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Goa Suraksha Manch have already announced their respective candidates for

the capital city bypoll.

Tendulkar along with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, state BJP general secretary Sadanand Tanavade and state organisational secretary Satish Dhond met members of the Panaji BJP Mandal on Saturday evening and tried to create congruous atmosphere as regards the Panaji bypoll candidate of the party, who will be selected by the BJP’s central election committee.

It is learnt that different Panaji-based ‘factions’ in the BJP are either supporting Utpal Parrikar or Sidharth Kunkalienkar and have developed differences over the issue.

The state BJP leaders therefore are trying to create an agreeable situation between them, irrespective of who is selected as the party’s candidate.

BJP’s state in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna admitted to this daily that there has been some delay in announcement of party’s candidate for the Panaji by-poll.

“However, we will announce the candidate in a day or two,” he added.