Congress fields ex-minister Monserratte for Panaji bypoll

The Congress has fielded Atanasio Monserratte, a former minister who had served in various governments, as the party candidate for Panaji assembly byelection, necessitated by the death of sitting MLA and former chief minister Manohar Parrikar in March this year.

According to BJP sources, the party is weighing options between Parrikar's son Utpal and former MLA Siddharth Kuncolienkar, who had defeated Monserratte in 2017 polls, for the May 19 contest.

Monserratte's name was announced by AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik Tuesday, a release said stating that Congress president Rahul Gandhi has approved his candidature for Panaji constituency.

Monserratte, who was vice president of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), an ally of the ruling BJP, had resigned last week and joined Congress.

He had served as a minister in erstwhile Manohar Parrikar government in 2001-05, and in the governments headed by Pratapsinh Rane (2005-07) and Digambar Kamat (2007-12) of the Congress.

He was chargesheeted by Goa Police in 2018 in connection with the alleged rape of a minor girl in 2016.

Panaji assembly segment in North Goa has been a BJP bastion since 1994 when Parrikar became MLA.

Most of its 22,000 registered voters are Hindus.

Parrikar had won his last election--a bypoll held in 2017 after he became chief minister--from Panaji segment.

In the assembly elections held earlier in 2017, Monserratte lost to Kuncolienkar by mere 1069 votes from this constituency.

The BJP Wednesday held a meeting of Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) corporators affiliated to the party to discuss the name of probables, said Goa unit BJP president Vinay Tendulkar.

While Tendulkar refused to divulge details, sources in the BJP said names of late Parrikar's son Utpal and Kuncolienkar are being discussed.