BJP planted Kandolkar in Congress, alleges AAP

SALIGAO: Aam Aadmi Party (

AAP

) candidate for the

Mapusa

bypoll, Shekhar Naik, has alleged that BJP “systematically planted” Sudhir Kandolkar in the Congress “to take care of anti-BJP votes”.


Addressing reporters in Mapusa on Sunday, Naik said that Congress supporters were in touch with him and have expressed their disappointment with the party’s decision to induct Kandolkar.

“Many Congress supporters, who are disgrunted with the induction of Kandolkar, have assured to support me as I am the only credible option against the BJP,” he said.

Kandolkar was a BJP loyalist for 20 years and known as a right-hand man of former Mapusa MLA Francis de Souza. After de Souza’s demise, Kandolkar campaigned for the BJP ticket seeking to be its candidate for the Mapusa bypoll. The party handed the ticket to Joshua de Souza, the late MLA’s son and a first-time councillor at the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC).

“The same BJP who was speaking against the dynasty politics of Congress is practicing the same thing now. I remember when Parrikar formed the government in 2012, it was because he opposed dynasty politics in Goa run by Congress. Today, after his demise, BJP has dumped his values and are just seeking power,” said Naik.

Also present at the press conference were AAP North Goa candidate Pradeep Padgaonkar along with AAP functionaries Valmiki Naik, Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Nikhil Haldankar.