The bypoll to the Panaji assembly seat will be held along with the last phase of the ongoing national polls on May 19. Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s death in March necessitated the by-poll. Panaji has been a BJP stronghold since 1994, when Parrikar first won the seat. “Velingkar commands huge respect among the BJP workers and will make deep inroads into the BJP vote share and damage the BJP,” said political commentator Pandurang Gaonkar. The BJP’s move of picking Kuncalienkar in place of Parrikar’s son, Utpal, has caused some resentment.

Source: Hindustan Times May 14, 2019 18:56 UTC