Goa polls: Shiv Sena drops candidate from Panaji to support Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal

After Manohar Parrikar’s son Utpal wasn’t given a ticket by the BJP, the Shiv Sena dropped its candidate from Goa’s Panaji and has decided to support him. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had earlier urged all Opposition parties to back Utpal Parrikar if he did not get a BJP ticket to contest from Panaji. “We’re keeping our word. Shiv Sena is withdrawing its candidate Shailendra Velingkar from Panaji. Not just that, our workers will fully support Utpal Parrikar. We believe that the battle for Panaji is just about election, but also about the purification of Goa Politics (sic),” Sanjay Raut said in a tweet tagging Maharashtra minister Aditya Thackeray. Raut’s tweet included a quote from Utpal Parrikar, apparently targeting the BJP for choosing Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate: “You will give ticket to the person with criminal antecedent in the constituency represented by late Manohar Parrikar?” Utpal, son of former Goa chief minister on Saturday said that circumstances forced him to take a decision of contesting as an independent candidate from Panaji in the ensuing Goa Assembly polls. Utpal also said that he will try to meet each person in Panaji and know about their problems. Speaking to ANI ahead of the Goa Assembly elections, he said, “I will try to meet each person in Panaji. The circumstances forced me to take this decision (of contesting an independent candidate) from Panaji. I want to give people a good option in candidates.” Utpal Parrikar, son of former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, filed his nomination papers from the Panaji Assembly constituency on Thursday. Last week, he resigned from the primary membership of BJP after the party denied him a ticket from the Panaji constituency and fielded Congress party turncoat Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate. After BJP snubbed him, Parrikar decided to contest the upcoming Goa election as an independent candidate. Meanwhile, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant had said that the central leaders of BJP were in conversation with Utpal and had offered him two constituencies to contest the election in the upcoming Goa Assembly polls. Goa is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on 10 March, ANI said. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.