Former RSS leader Velingkar in fray for Panaji by-election

Former RSS leader Subhash Velingkar Monday filed his nomination papers for the May 19 Panaji Assembly by-election.

Velingkar is contesting on the ticket of Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), which he formed after being sacked as Goa RSS chief in 2016 following his criticism of the BJP-led state government.

The Panaji bypoll was necessitated by the death of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar who represented the constituency.

Velingkar would be facing BJP's Siddharth Kunkolienkar and Congress' Atanasio Monserratte, among others, in the election.

The GSM fought the 2017 Assembly elections in alliance with the Shiv Sena and MGP, but drew a blank. It also contested all the three Assembly by-elections held on April 23.

Velingkar said Panaji bypoll should be seen as the start of a process to cleanse the politics in entire Goa.

He also alleged that there were attempts to lure voters with money during the April 23 polls, and added that it will stop with the Panaji by-election.

"I am contesting the election with a commitment to clean up this kind of politics," he said.

Considered a strategist for the BJP in the late 1990s, he is contesting election for the first time.