PANAJI
The BJP Parliamentary Committee is likely to announce candidates for both parliamentary seats in Goa after the Election Commission of India's (ECI) notification regarding the Lok Sabha election dates.
But while the party has remained tight-lipped, particularly on the names for South Goa, its State Election Team's marathon meeting on Monday discussed five probable candidates for the district.
Reliable sources told The Goan that the names of Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, former CM Digambar Kamat, ex-minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, former South MP Narendra Sawaikar, and Damu Naik are agreed upon, which will be submitted to the Parliamentary Committee.
Interestingly, Naik's inclusion comes ten days after the party shortlisted the first four names. The probable candidates were also present at the meeting.
For North Goa, the high command has not indicated any change and as a result the sitting MP and Union Minister Shripad Naik could be the sole choice.
"BJP will win both the seats. Candidates are not finalised and it is for the Parliamentary Committee to announce these names... It will be after the (ECI) notification," BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade told The Goan after the meeting presided over by BJP Goa Prabhari Ashish Sood and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in Panaji on Tuesday.
Tanavade refused to divulge further details of the meeting, reiterating that their focus is not on candidates but party symbol being Lotus.
Amidst ongoing election-related meetings across Goa, the party is set to formally launch election campaign with the opening of its election offices for both the districts.
Tanavade said that their South Goa election office in Margao (in front of the KTC Bus Stand) will be inaugurated at 3.30 pm on Tuesday while the North district's office at Mapusa will be inaugurated at 10 am on Wednesday.
"We have completed the Gaon Chalo drive wherein close to 1,500 karyakartas covered over 700 booths on a single day on Sunday. Moreover, our community meetings are also underway wherein CM and all our leaders including office bearers are actively a part of it," he added.
