MAPUSA
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday kick-started its candidate selection process for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections in North Goa, with party president Damu Naik chairing a marathon meeting of senior leaders and MLAs at the North Goa District office in Mapusa.
The closed-door meeting, which began in the morning and stretched late into the evening, was attended by several core committee members and legislators from across the district.
The focus was on finalising names of potential candidates and assessing the party’s ground strength in key constituencies.
Speaking to reporters, State BJP president Damu Naik said that the candidate list would be out soon.
“We held detailed discussions with senior leaders and MLAs to identify strong candidates for the Zilla Panchayat elections. In several constituencies, the decisions were unanimous. We expect to announce the names within the next two to four days,” Naik said.
Party sources indicated that the BJP leadership has sought to strike a balance between experienced members and fresh faces to consolidate its base at the grassroots level.
“The emphasis is on winnability and performance at the panchayat level,” a senior functionary revealed.
The BJP’s preparations come even as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has reportedly requested the government to consider postponing the ZP elections until after the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is completed.
Political observers note that the BJP enters the ZP race with confidence, buoyed by its strong showing in the previous elections and a relatively fragmented opposition.
“Unless the opposition camps get their act together and agree on joint candidates, the BJP is expected to retain its dominance in most seats,” a local political analyst said.
The State Election Commission had recently announced the reservation pattern for the upcoming ZP constituencies in both North and South Goa, paving the way for parties to finalise their candidates.
Meanwhile, BJP sources said a similar exercise for South Goa would follow shortly.
