Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Panaji MLA Babush Monserrate today said that he will be waiting for the official party announcement of candidature before going ahead with the campaigning.
Babush was supposed to begin his door to door campaigning from today but cancelled it at the last moment.
“I am told by the party that I can go ahead, but I will wait for official confirmation of the BJP about the candidature. If I go to someone’s house and ask me about other candidates in the race, what will I tell them? It will be embarrassing for me,” said Monserrate.
Reacting to Lobo’ exit, Babush questioned when was Michael in the BJP, claiming that 6 months back, he was in the Congress party.
“Michael leaving BJP will not make any difference, and BJP will still cross over 22 mark and form the Government,” he said.
Monserrate said that political parties like Aam Aadmi Party and Congress have already started releasing the lists of their candidates for the assembly polls, while the BJP is yet to declare its candidates.”
“Local BJP leaders)are constantly speaking about the selection procedure involving party’s Parliamentary Board, etc, etc, while the election date is already announced and the polls are now fast approaching,” he added.
It may be recalled that Utpal Parrikar, son of the former chief minister Manohar Parrikar had given all indications to contest from Panaji on BJP candidature, as also has kept open his option to contest as an Independent candidate if discarded by the BJP.
As per the sources, Utpal had also visited Delhi in December 2021 and met the top brass of the BJP leadership, including Amit Shah, expressing before them his desire to contest from Panaji.
Monserrate, aware of this situation, now seems unsure if he would be BJP’s candidate from the Panaji constituency.
