the goan I network
PANAJI
Amidst the political turmoil in the state on Wednesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) named Shekhar Naik and Yogesh Khandeparkar as their candidates for the Mapusa and Shiroda by-polls, respectively. AAP’s general secretary and North Goa MP candidate Pradeep Padgaonkar announced their names at a press conference in the city alongside AAP convenor and South Goa MP candidate Elvis Gomes.
59-year-old Shekhar Naik from Mapusa, has been a social activist for several years and has been serving the people of Mapusa tirelessly, said Padgaonkar.
This time round too, the AAP has chosen candidates who’ve worked for conservation. “At Colvale, Naik saved 200-year-old mango trees which the state government wanted chopped,” he said.
Meanwhile, 58-year-old Khandeparkar, is a retired high school Maths teacher with a service of 32 years. A BJP member for 35 years, Khandeparkar says he got disillusioned with the party as it started horse trading. He joined AAP in February 2017 based on its twin principles of a corruption-free India and Swaraj to the people.
As far as social work is concerned, Khandeparkar initiated the formation of NGOs Shiroda Nagrik Samiti and Borim Nagrik Samiti whose main motto was to unite all the opposition parties against the government’s anti-people policies and injustice meted out to the common man.
