PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said the decision on the strategy or choice of candidate for the expected bye-election in Ponda is taken by the party, and not him.
“Party decides on tickets. I don’t decide,” Sawant cryptically said while responding to persistent questioning on the issue by media persons.
The Ponda assembly seat fell vacant after former chief minister Ravi Naik passed away last month.
Despite public statements from leaders of the Bhandari Samaj as well as MGP’s Dhavalikar brothers favouring a nomination for one of the two sons of Naik and unanimous election without a contest, the Ponda bye-election is seemingly heading for an intense, multi-cornered contest.
Although the Dhavalikars who control the MGP with an iron grip have suggested unopposed election of Naik’s son, their party leader Ketan Bhatikar has already publicly voiced a different stance.
Bhatikar who was the MGP candidate in Ponda at the 2022 assembly election and had lost to the late Naik by a meagre 77-vote margin has said he will contest on the MGP ticket and if denied, as an independent.
The Congress is also likely to field a candidate with Rajesh Verenkar who was its candidate in 2022 eyeing a renomination. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also announced that it will field its candidate for the bye-election.
The BJP is reportedly weighing its options between Naik’s second son Ritesh Naik, who had a stint as Ponda civic chief and another senior party member from Ponda, Vishwanath Dalvi.
