I treat CCP elections as a final: Parrikar TNN, Jan 15, 2011, 01.21am IST
PANAJI: While refraining from making a comment on NCP Benaulim MLA Francisco 'Mickky' Pacheco fielding his panel in the forthcoming Panaji civic polls, opposition leader and Panaji MLA Manohar Parrikar said that he was treating the elections as a 'final'.
Parrikar's comment on the 'final' is a swipe at Taleigao MLA and state education minister Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate, who has called the CCP elections as a 'semi-final' before the state legislative assembly elections where he intends on taking on Parrikar, the incumbent MLA.
"I treat the CCP elections as a final and not a semi-final. For me, all elections are treated as finals," Parrikar told mediapersons during a press conference here on Friday evening.
It maybe noted that the NCP took many by surprise on Monday when it announced that its Benaulim MLA Pacheco would lead a panel of 30 candidates for the Panaji civic elections.
Monserrate termed the move by the NCP as a ploy to help the BJP to victory and take over the city corporation.
"This is an open secret that the panel floated by them (NCP) is to help the BJP. But I have no issues with that. Whether the BJP will profit from this only time will tell and the voters will decide this. The people will vote for me," Monserrate said.
Parrikar was asked, during Monday's press conference, for his views on Pacheco fielding a panel for the upcoming civic polls. "I have no views on this," he replied, thereafter adding: "It is his right. Everybody has the right to contest elections as long as they are above 25 years of age."
A candidate on the Monserrate panel, requesting anonymity, said that it is evident Pacheco's panel would target the Taleigao MLA's candidates. "The BJP's votes will be untouched. The NCP panel floated by Pacheco will target us. Their brief will be to take away our voters, as many as possible. It is still early days to predict how much we will be affected. Much depends on who are chosen as our rival candidates. Independents will also throw their hats into the ring, and take up votes," the candidate said.
Monserrate, however, seems unpeturbed: "I have never stopped anyone from contesting against me or my panel. Let anybody contest. I say, the more, the merrier."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/I-treat-CCP-elections-as-a-final-Parrikar/articleshow/7288441.cms
