Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Goa election in-charge for the BJP, Devendra Fadnavis declared the first list in New Delhi. Names of candidates for St. Cruz, Bicholim, Calangute, Curtorim, Cortalim and Cumjarjua have been held back. At a press conference, Fadnavis said that Panaji ticket aspirant Utpal Parrikar, son of Manohar Parrikar, who was denied nomination from his late father’s constituency, had been offered two other seats and discussions were on.The six sitting MLAs who were elected on Congress ticket in 2017 but had switched sides to joining the ruling party and have managed a BJP ticket are Neelkant Harlankar (Tivim), Atanasio Babush Monserrate (Panaji), Jennifer Monserrate (Taleigao), Francis Silveira (St. Andre), Clafasio Dias (Cuncolim) and Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar (Quepem). The other MLA elected on a Congress ticket in 2017 is the former chief minister Ravi Naik (Ponda), who recently moved to the BJP.Two sitting ministers, Water Resources Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues (elected on a Congress ticket in 2017) and Public Works Department Minister Deepak Pauskar (elected on a MGP ticket in 2017) do not find their names on the list from Velim and Sanvordem constituencies where the BJP has nominated a fresh face in journalist Savio Rodrigues and former MLA and local party leader Ganesh Gaonkar respectively.Similarly, deputy speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes has been denied a ticket in favour of former MLA and minister Ramesh Tawadkar. Fernandes too was elected on a Congress ticket in 2017. MLAs elected on a Congress ticket but resigned to be reelected as BJP MLAs after by-polls in the last term too have found nominations. Dayanand Sopte pipped former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar for the ticket from Mandrem, while Subhash Shirodkar was given the Shiroda ticket.
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