Following through on its promise, the Shiv Sena stated on Monday that it had dropped its candidacy in Panaji ahead of the Goa Assembly elections in order to endorse Utpal Parrikar, the son of former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Utpal is running as an independent candidate for the seat.
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Sena claimed in a message to former ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that it was “more than elections” and that it was “keeping its word.”
“We’re sticking to our word.” Shailendra Velingkar, the Shiv Sena’s candidate in Panaji, has withdrawn. Not only that, but our employees will rally behind Utpal Parrikar. “We feel that the struggle for Panaji is not just about the election, but also about the purification of Goa politics,” Raut said in a tweet, tagging Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, who is involved in the polls’ organising.
Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena leader, had previously stated that if Parrikar runs alone and does not withdraw his candidacy before the deadline, the party will withdraw its candidate from the seat and support him.
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Shailendra Velingkar, the son of Goa Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Subhash Velingkar, was handed the ticket by the Sena. Shailendra had joined Sena just a few weeks ago.
Raut’s tweet also contained an image of Manohar Parrikar’s comment, criticising the BJP for handing Atanasio Babush Monserrate a ticket from Panaji, which was handed by Parrikar. “Will you provide a ticket to someone who has a criminal record in the constituency represented by the late Manohar Parrikar?”
Utpal resigned from the BJP on January 21 after being denied a ticket in Panaji, and launched his candidacy as an independent to make his electoral debut. Meanwhile, the BJP said that Parrikar was given two other options for running for office. Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP’s poll in charge for Goa, said on January 29 that the party had not denied him a ticket, but that he had rejected two possibilities.
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The Shiv Sena is running in Goa as part of a coalition with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). According to Sanjay Raut, Aaditya Thackeray’s party will campaign in Goa, notably in the Sinquerim (Sakhali) Assembly constituency, where Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will run. The party has yet to decide if senior leaders will campaign for Parrikar.
