PANAJI: In the first big challenge for BJP in the absence of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar , former Congress minister Atanasio Monserrate , who almost breached BJP citadel in 2017 as a United Goans Party candidate, has once again decided to enter the fray.Monserrate, who is the vice-president of GFP , an alliance partner of BJP, will quit the party to contest the bypoll . “I will start meeting people in Panaji from Monday and galvanise supporters,” said Monserrate, who polled 6,855 votes during the 2017 assembly elections and lost to BJP candidate Sidharth Kuncalienker, by a little over a thousand votes.Popularly known as Babush, Monserrate has quite an influence over the Panaji constituency which BJP has represented continuously since Parrikar first won the seat in 1994.Monserrate’s panel is currently in power at the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) and is a known force in neighbouring Taleigao, parts of which will vote when bypolls are held here.‘Will bring out vision docu for Panaji’Following Parrikar’s death on March 17, the former TCP minister had made his intentions known, but it was understood that GFP would bring him on board. However, on Friday, Monserrate said he would quit GFP and contest the Panaji bypoll. “GFP is in an alliance with BJP. I don’t want to create differences between the two parties,” he said.“Let the byelection be declared then we’ll decide,” state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar.The former TCP minister who won every election from 2002 till 2017, whether he was contesting in Taleigao, his home constituency, or neighbouring St Cruz, said he will quit the party in due course. “I will have a vision document for the Panaji constituency,” said Monserrate.Monserrate’s decision to quit GFP and contest the byelection as an independent will give the BJP a headache, political commentators said. The Panaji seat fell vacant following Parrikar’s death.During the last bypoll when Parrikar cut short his stint as defence minister and returned to state politics in 2017, Monserrate was among the first to put his hand up and announce his candidature. However, he eventually paved the way for Parrikar’s smooth sailing in Panaji by joining GFP. Monserrate was offered chairmanship of a new planning and development body called Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority, which was constituted a year later as a reward for not contesting against Parrikar.Monserrate’s decision to contest as an independent will also take the opposition Congress by surprise, sources said, adding that Congress was banking on Monserrate returning to the party and taking on the might of BJP. Parrikar had won the Panaji seat in the February 2017 assembly byelection by defeating Congress’s Girish Chodankar by a margin of 4,803 votes.

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