The BJP Sunday announced the candidature of former MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar for the Panaji Assembly bypoll scheduled for May 19.

While there was speculation that Parrikar's elder son Utpal would be given a ticket, a statement on the BJP's website about Kunkolienkar's candidature put an end to it.

The BJP's Central Election Committee secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda announced the candidature of Kunkolienkar on Sunday afternoon.

Incidentally, Kunkolienkar had won the seat in the 2017 Assembly polls before vacating it on May 10 that year to allow Parrikar to contest and enter the 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly.

Parrikar, who was then Union defence minister, was brought back to helm the state government after the BJP fell short of a simple majority and had to ally with other parties like Goa Forward Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, as well as Independents.

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