NT Reporter
Panaji
Former Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Utpal Parrikar—son of former defence minister Manohar Parrikar—are set to rejoin the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Confirming the development on Friday, Goa BJP president Damodar ‘Damu’ Naik said discussions have been held with both leaders, adding that the party is welcoming back senior leaders and workers who had previously distanced themselves due to differences.
The announcement comes ahead of a two-day visit by BJP national president Nitin Nabin on October 27 and 28. Nabin is scheduled to interact with party workers, guide organisational strategy. The BJP state executive committee meeting will be held on October 27.
“The doors of the party are open for everyone. Anyone who believes in the BJP’s ideology should join,” Naik said, adding that any past misunderstandings were not permanent.
“When I took charge as the state president, I had said that our senior leaders had distanced themselves from the party due to some issues or may be mistakes; it could be from our side or theirs. They should return and work to strengthen the party, as they had done earlier,” Naik recalled.
He noted that Parsekar had recently visited the party’s new state headquarters, Atal Bhavan, during its opening ceremony.
Both leaders left the party ahead of the 2022 state Assembly elections after being denied tickets. Parsekar contested from Mandrem constituency as an Independent, while Utpal Parrikar resigned from the party to contest also as an Independent from Panaji segment. Utpal lost by 716 votes against BJP’s Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate. Mandrem is represented by MGP’s Jit Arolkar.
Their return is expected to reshape political dynamics in both constituencies ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, where Naik stated the BJP aims to win 30 seats.
The state BJP chief emphasised that while the party recognises the contributions of senior leaders, it is also actively encouraging younger leaders to come forward.
Asked for his reaction, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that this development will not affect the sitting MLAs adding “Tankam Bhivpachi Garaz na”,
Earlier on Friday, Naik, along with BJP national joint general secretary (organisation) Shivprakash, Goa Prabhari Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, and Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade, met with mandal prabharis and pravasi vistaraks at the party headquarters on the Kadamba Plateau in Chimbel to review organisational efforts.
Uptal also met Shivprakash and discussed the modalities of his home-coming. Sources close to Utpal said that it was a preliminary meeting and issues are yet to be finalised. The gharwapsi process gained momentum after a series of visits of BJP’s national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh to Goa. Party’s central leaders are also in favour of Utpal returning to the partyfold.
