Utpal Parrikar turned down three seats offered to him by the BJP in Goa.

According to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the BJP has set a target of winning 22 seats in the 2018 Goa assembly elections, and Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar has refused to run any of the three seats allocated to him. 

"Without Manohar Parrikar to assist us, this would be the BJP's first election in Goa." In an exclusive interview with News18 in Goa, Sawant stated, "It is a struggle for me, but I am confident that we will gain the entire majority in Goa." Without forming an alliance, the BJP is fighting all 40 seats in Goa.

When asked why prominent BJP officials like Michele Lobo and Laxmikant Parsekar quit to run for office independently or on the ticket of another party, Sawant frankly stated that the politicians departed for their own goals. 

"This predicament emerges when a leader believes he is bigger than the party" (they need to quit and fight independently or join other parties). Parsekar has begun to believe that he is above the party. In the case of Michael Lobo, the BJP is a party that prioritises the nation, whereas Lobo is a leader who prioritises his wife. "They have deserted the party because of this," Sawant said 

Utpal Parrikar's candidacy as an independent has also become a point of contention in the polls, particularly in Panaji, where he is running. "Had he (Utpal) been a dedicated party worker, he would have paid attention to the senior party officials." People should be aware that he is the one who has refused to take the ticket. We provided him three seats from which to compete. "He declined," Goa's chief minister revealed. 

Meanwhile, Manohar Parrikar's presence can be felt everywhere, from the BJP's election manifesto being released today to the election theme song.

Many regional parties, including as the TMC and the AAP, rushed into the assembly elections in Goa, making the outcome unexpected and difficult for the ruling BJP.

‘Regional parties coming to Goa because they have national ambitions’

"There are several seats where the Trinamool Congress is fighting well," Sawant remarked when asked who he thinks the BJP's major election opponent. On separate seats, so are AAP, Congress, and other regional parties. This time, every constituency is different."

Every regional party that is not established in Goa, according to Sawant, is moving to the state "to become national." He was responding to a query on regional parties such as the Trinamool Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) running for office. 

"All of these parties are flocking to Goa because they want to make a name for themselves." To become a national party, the TMC has to gain a significant vote share in Goa. That is one aspect. AAP is working since it needs to register an account. "Congress needs to stay in power, which is why they're working," stated the Goa chief minister.

Because the mining prohibition is causing job losses, the CM has promised to remedy the issue within six months. The mining prohibition has become a campaign issue for the Congress, and the BJP has promised to resolve it shortly. 

"We have established the mining corporation, and we are continuing our activities." Mining operations will commence in earnest in the next six months. "A lot of industries are going to pick up steam and generate a lot of jobs in the next five years," Sawant predicted.

With horse trading a hot topic in elections, and MLAs swapping parties for money and clout, the opposition is taking a stand this time. 

The Congress national secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has spoken out against horse dealing and corruption in the state. She told News18 exclusively that the party has learned from its mistakes in the past and that no MLA will resign this time.

There would be no horse dealing, Sawant assured, because his party will win a solid majority.

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