Staff Reporter
Panaji
Stating that he wants Narendra Modi to be the Prime Minister of India for third time in the interest of the nation, Utpal Parrikar, son of former chief minister and former Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, said the Bharatiya Janata Party is the platform for taking a call on whether he has to be in the party.
Speaking to a local channel on Thursday, he said that for him the nation comes first, thus the BJP should come back to power at the Centre in this Lok Sabha election. He said Goans should vote for both the BJP candidates. Extending full support to South Goa BJP candidate, Pallavi Dempo, Parrikar said that generally, the people’s sentiment is that good and well-educated persons should enter politics. In view of this, he said, BJP nominating Pallavi Dempo is a positive move and it needs to be welcomed by all.
Prime Minister Modi, he said, must have felt better to start with more women candidates in this election rather than wait for the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act.
“Hence, it’s a positive sign that the BJP selected a well-educated woman and an entrepreneur for the South Goa seat,” he said. “BJP must have also done some analysis before selecting its South Goa candidate.”
Stating that an opposition party leader has said that Dempo brand is bigger than BJP’s, Parrikar said that there is no doubt that there will be positive contribution from Pallavi Dempo if she is elected to the Lok Sabha, as the Dempo family is known not only as a big industrial group but also in sports, education, social work and philanthropy.
“I have already cleared my stand as to ideologically where I am as far as the national election is concerned. So, there is no second thought on Lok Sabha elections. People should vote for BJP, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown his leadership in the last ten years,” he said.
Parrikar also said the local BJP is more concerned about what imported person in Panaji constituency will say “if I stand with party candidate. North Goa BJP candidate may not be ready to click photo with me”. He said that everyone knows what current Panaji MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate has said about Manohar Parrikar.
Utpal also admitted that he has issues with the local government. “So I appeal to my supporters to vote for lotus so that Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister for third time,” he said. He also admitted that some of the leaders are still doing politics, but said his thoughts are clear on the Lok Sabha elections.
Parrikar said if BJP is not elected again at the Centre, the growth story of India will stop, resulting in a huge loss to all the countrymen, including Goans. “If the economy grows bigger, the migration of Goans to the West could also stop…For the sake of the nation, BJP has to be re-elected,” Parrikar said.