Parrikar may resign as Panaji MLA during IFFI
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 12 November 2014 22:37 IST
Manohar Parrikar with Sidharth Kunkolienkar
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar may resign as Panaji MLA during IFFI, when he is planning to come down for its inaugural on 20 November.
He has already been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Lucknow as there was no other candidate.
The former Goa chief minister had filed his nomination on 10 November, after being inducted into the union cabinet headed by Narendra Modi.
“I will resign as the MLA after declaration of my election as the MP of Rajya Sabha. I get 15 days period to quit my earlier post of MLA”, he told the media today evening.
The five-time Panaji MLA since 1994 has a tough time choosing his successor as too many contenders have been pushed ahead by different BJP supporters.
The front-runners however appear to be Parrikar’s close confident Sidharath Kunkolienkar followed by city hotelier Gaurish Dhond.
While finalizing the candidate, Parrikar also needs to resolve the challenge thrown up by St Cruz MLA Babush Monseratte to quite Congress and contest as an independent from Panaji.
The defence minister also plans to sit with his successor chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar to finalise the reallocation of portfolios of his 10-member cabinet.
Parsekar also plans to expand his cabinet, filling the two vacant berths, by Sunday, if possible.
Parrikar would thus quit the legislator post before leaving for Delhi only if he succeeds in resolving all these issues.
A source close to him disclosed to goanews.com that he would probably resign only when he comes back for IFFI inaugural on 20 November as he has to settle ‘too many issues’ before resigning.
