PANAJI
The ruling Bharatiya Janata (BJP) has shortlisted and forwarded four names for the North Goa parliamentary seat but incumbent Shirpad Naik who has won the seat five consecutive times since 1999 remains the favourite to bag the nomination for the upcoming Parliamentary polls.
BJP State president, Sadanand Tanavade, only confirmed that names of four leaders were discussed at a meeting held on Sunday where Lok Sabha prabhari for Goa, Ashish Sood was also present. He declined to identify the names of the four leaders shortlisted.
"Four names were discussed and they will be forwarded to the BJP Parliamentary Board which will finalise and declare the candidate," Tanavade said.
Authoritative BJP sources, meanwhile, said Naik continues to be the front-runner for re-nomination. He has been winning the seat for the BJP ever since he made his debut in the Lok Sabha back in 1999 after his shock defeat in the Goa Assembly elections that year from Marcaim.
Other names said to be shortlisted along with that of Naik include three former legislators -- Dayanand Mandrekar, Dilip Parulekar and Dayanand Sopte -- the sources said.
Interestingly, all four leaders shortlisted by the BJP for the North Goa seat belong to the numerically strong Bhandari Samaj caste grouping.
