PANAJI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday held a special outreach event in Ponda, inducting several ‘first-time voters’ into the party fold, seen as its first big outreach ahead of the by-election necessitated by the demise of former chief minister and senior leader Ravi Naik.
The event, seen as a strategic move to consolidate support among the youth, prominently featured Ritesh Naik, son of the late Ravi Naik and widely tipped to be the BJP’s candidate for the by-poll.
Ritesh was seated alongside Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and former MP Narendra Sawaikar, which many see as a signal that the ruling party is warming up to nominating him.
Sawant, while addressing the gathering, reiterated that the final decision on the candidate would be taken collectively by the party leadership.
“The party decides on the ticket; I don’t decide on it,” he clarified, underscoring that the BJP’s central and state committees would weigh in on the nomination.
Ritesh is currently a Ponda councillor and has in the past donned the chairmanship of the town’s civic body. He has maintained that he will abide by the party’s decision.
“We are dedicated karyakartas. The selection process will be handled internally, and we will support any decision taken by the leadership,” he told reporters.
The induction of first-time voters is being viewed as part of the BJP’s broader strategy to energise its base and secure a decisive edge in Ponda, a constituency long associated with Ravi Naik.
In the 2022 assembly election, Naik contested the seat for the first time on the saffron party’s ticket and narrowly warded off the challenge of MGP’s Ketan Bhatikar by just 75 votes.
Bhatikar has announced he will contest the by-election, most likely as an Independent. He has quit the MGP, which is an ally in the BJP government, after the party’s leadership made it clear it will not field a candidate and rooted for Ritesh.
As the by-poll, which is due any time within the next three months, approaches, the BJP’s youth outreach and the possible candidature of Ritesh Naik are expected to shape the political narrative in Ponda.
