New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday invited former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s son Utpal to join his party and fight the upcoming assembly elections.
Taking potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kejriwal said the Goans feel very said that the saffron party has “adopted use and throw policy” even with Parrikar family.
“Goans feel v sad that BJP has adopted use and throw policy even with Parrikar family. I have always respected Manohar Parrikar ji. Utpal ji is welcome to join and fight elections on AAP ticket,” he tweeted.
Kejriwal’s invitation came after Parrikar’s son was excluded from the BJP’s list of candidates for the Goa Assembly elections.
This comes as Utpal Parrikar is reportedly firm on contesting from his father’s seat Panaji.
The BJP has, however, fielded Atanasio Monserrate, also known as “Babush”, from the Panaji seat.
“We offered him alternatives, he refused the first one. Talks on with him. We feel he should agree,” ANI quoted BJP’s Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis as saying.
The BJP has announced the names of 34 candidates for the Goa Assembly elections.
The BJP has fielded Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant from Sanquelim, while his deputy Manohar Ajgaonkar will be contesting from Margao assembly seat.
Earlier on Wednesday, Kejriwal announced lawyer and social worker Amit Palekar as his party’s chief ministerial candidate for Goa.
Palekar is from the OBC Bhandari community, which accounts for about 35 percent of Goa’s population.
Polling for the 40-member Goa Assembly will take place in a single phase on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
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