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PANAJI
The legislative wing of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party has asserted that that the candidate for election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Goa must be a BJP leader. The matter was discussed at a meeting of BJP MLAs held at Porvorim on Friday.
At the meeting, many party MLAs, including Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo, suggested that the candidate for the RS poll must be from the BJP who is an active member of the party.
It is learnt that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has also assured his legislators that although a coalition government has been in power in the state, the candidate for the RS poll would be from the BJP.
There has been talk that in order to pacify coalition partners the BJP may get a candidate from outside the party, who would be accepted to all members of the ruling side.
After emerging from the meeting, Lobo said the party MLAs, including himself, has stressed on fielding a BJP leader as a candidate for the RS poll in the state, and that the nominee should not be “imported” at the eleventh hour.
However, the BJP is yet to shortlist probable candidates and may do so by May 21. Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza, who also attended the meeting, said the party has instructed all the MLAs to remain present for the voting on
June 8.
The BJP is likely to hold a meeting of coalition partners within next two days to discuss and finalise the candidate for the RS poll from the ruling side.