Goa polls 2022: Utpal Parrikar takes dig at Babush, says won’t give ‘100 days’ promises

PANAJI: In a sly dig at his opponent and BJP’s Panaji candidate Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate, independent candidate Utpal Parrikar said he would not issue any ‘100 days’ assurances to the people of Panaji.

The former Union defence minister’s son was referring to Monserrate, who, during the 2019 byelection necessitated by Manohar Parrikar’s death, promised that within 100 days, he would shift casinos out of the Mandovi.

Monserrate later backtracked and claimed business would be affected if the casinos were shifted.

After filing his nomination on Thursday, Utpal launched his door-to-door campaign from Mala on Saturday, after seeking blessings at Maruti temple.

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“I will give promises which I will be able to deliver, and I will tell the people of Panaji about my vision and they will vote for me,” Utpal said, adding that his manifesto would be released soon.

He said he would try to meet each and every person in Panaji during the campaign. He said circumstances forced him to take the decision to contest the election.

Manohar Parrikar represented Panaji for over two decades since 1994. After he was elevated to the position of Union defence minister in 2014, BJP had fielded Parrikar’s close aide Sidharth Kuncalienkar, who won the seat for BJP. Kuncalienker had also won the assembly election in 2017, defeating Monserrate, who was the United Goans Party candidate for Panaji.

When Parrikar returned to the state as chief minister, Kuncalienkar vacated the seat for Parrikar to contest and BJP once again won the Panaji seat.

After the demise of Parrikar, Kuncalienkar and Utpal both staked claim to BJP’s candidature during the 2019 bypoll in Panaji. But BJP had denied candidature to Utpal at the time. Monserrate, who was the Congress candidate then, made a dent in BJP’s bastion to grab the seat for Congress for the first time since 1994.