Utpal Parrikar Quits BJP After Party Denies Him Ticket For Panjim Assembly Seat, To Enter Fray As An Independent

Denied ticket from Panaji, his late father's constituency, former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar on Friday announced that he is quitting the BJP.

He will now contest the February 14 Assembly elections in the state from Panaji as an independent.

The day before, the ruling BJP nominated from Panaji -- which Manohar Parrikar had represented for over two decades -- its sitting MLA Atanasio Monserrate, one of ten legislators who had joined the saffron party in July 2019 after quitting Congress.

“I was left with no other choice. I have resigned from the party and I would be contesting as an independent from Panaji,'' Utpal Parrikar told reporters.

He also said that resignation was a formality but the BJP will ''always remain in my heart.” “It is a difficult choice for me, I am doing it for the people of Goa. No one should be worried about my political future, people of Goa will do it,” he said.

The BJP had offered him ''other options'' (constituencies other than Panaji), Parrikar said.

“I am fighting for the values which I believe in. Let people of Panaji decide. I cannot negotiate with my party,” he added.

Asked whether he would seek support of other political parties, he said the only platform for him was the BJP.

“If not BJP, then I would go for (contesting as) independent. I will not go for any other political party,” Parrikar said.

On Thursday, the BJP's Goa in-charge Devendra Fadnavis had said while releasing its first list of candidates that the party offered some other seats to Utpal, but he was not willing to contest from any of them.

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said his party, which had formed a tie-up with the NCP for Goa elections, would support Parrikar if he promised not to back the BJP post elections.

On Thursday, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had slammed the BJP for adopting ''use and throw'' policy regarding the Parrikar family, and invited Utpal to join his party.