Panaji: Utpal Parrikar, son of former defence minister Manohar Parrikar, has joined hands with unlikely allies, including Congress functionary Surendra Furtado, to take on Panaji MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate’s panel in the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) elections.Furtado also buried the hatchet with his former vocal critics, Dattaprasad Naik and ex-Panaji mayor Vaidehi Naik. Together with former councillor Menino da Cruz, they united under the ‘Ami Panjekar – Concerned Citizens of Panaji’ banner. Furtado and Cruz are with Congress while Dattaprasad and Vaidehi were part of BJP when Manohar Parrikar was Panaji MLA.
The collaboration was a “tactical adjustment” aimed at preventing Monserrate from sweeping all 30 wards and thwarting the minister’s plan to reinstall his son, Rohit, as mayor.“We will contest all wards, but there may be one or two seats where another candidate is stronger. To defeat Rohit, I’m ready to withdraw my candidate and support theirs. We will disclose names at the right time,” said Parrikar.He accused Monserrate, the revenue minister, of using govt machinery, muscle power, and money to intimidate opposition candidates. The state election commission has fixed the elections for March 11, with counting of votes on March 13. As per the notified schedule, nomination papers can be filed till Feb 24.“We have planned for a year. This is a non-political panel, and I assure you all political parties in Goa will back us. It will be a one-to-one fight in most wards—something that’s never happened before,” said Furtado. The state capital has 32,496 voters, who will vote at 48 polling booths across the city’s 30 wards.The panel plans to highlight CCP’s failures in managing parking, garbage handling, and other illegalities. “Leaving aside political affiliations, we’ve come together to do something good. My fight is against Babush Monserrate. I don’t know how it fits BJP ethics when the father is a minister, wife an MLA, and son the mayor,” said Parrikar.
