Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday filed his nomination for the August 23 Legislative Assembly by-election from Panaji.
Mr. Parrikar is five-time MLA who has represented the capital city constituency.
After resigning as Defence Minister in the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre in March this year, Mr. Parrikar took over as Chief Minister of a BJP-led coalition government. The BJP, which ruled prior to February 2017 State assembly elections with 21 MLAs in the 40-member House, had slipped to 13 in the election.
He filed his nomination form after paying his respects at a popular temple and Church in Panaji.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Parrikar said that his victory is "confirmed" and promised to execute a comprehensive master-plan in all urban areas in the State over five years and in Panaji within 365 days.
“This is my promise for Panaji. It is not that we will take 365 days to do it. The steps we take here in Panaji over three-four months, the same steps we adopt for other towns, Mapusa, Margao, Ponda, Vasco and other small towns. We will use the Panaji master-plan strategy for these places over five years in phases,” said Mr. Parrikar.
Goa will witness by-elections in two assembly constituencies on August 23.
In Panaji, by-election was necessitated after sitting BJP MLA Sidharth Kuncolienkar resigned after the return of Mr. Parrikar, who is still a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, as Chief Minister.
The other by-election will be held in Valpoi assembly constituency of North Goa, where Health Minister Vishwajit Rane who was elected in the February general assembly election as a Congress MLA, had subsequently resigned to join the BJP. Mr. Rane filed his nomination on Tuesday.
