On Thursday, hours after being denied a ticket, Savitri Kavlekar, wife of deputy chief minister Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar, handed in her resignation as the vice-president of the BJP’s state women’s wing. At a press conference, Savitri Kavlekar who announced that she would fight the polls from Sanguem as an independent, said, “The Rane family has been given two tickets. Then why such injustice to me?” Kavlekar was upset at Health Minister Viswajit Rane and his wife Dr. Divya Rane being given party tickets to contest. Her husband and deputy chief minister Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar, has however been allotted a party ticket from the neighbouring Quepem seat.PWD minister Deepak Pauskar and Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes are the two others from the ruling party to have resigned from the BJP to contest as rebels from Sanvordem and Canacona respectively. The BJP has allotted tickets to local leaders from both the seats. While Pauskar had been elected on a MGP ticket in 2017, Fernandes had won as a Congress candidate.The Congress too has its share of rebels, with former Benaulim MLA Mickey Pacheco and Royla Fernandes fellow aspirant for the ticket from the same seat being denied the nomination. Upset at Anthony Dias being given the Congress ticket, both are set to plunge in as independents or explore other options in Benaulim where former chief minister Churchill Alemao is contesting on a TMC ticket, with the AAP fielding Capt. Venzy Viegas. Royla was the AAP candidate from the same seat in the 2017 polls and the only candidate to have secured her deposit. Pacheco had joined the party just a few months ago hoping for a ticket.
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