Goa Suraksha Manch opts out of Lok Sabha fray

MAPUSA:

Goa Suraksha Manch

(GSM) will not contest

Lok Sabha election

, but will instead focus on

Mapusa

, Mandrem and Shiroda bypolls and “work for the midterm polls”, founder and party chief

Subhash Velingkar

said on Monday.


“After holding four meeting of party workers in both districts, we have decided not to contest the

Lok Sabha

election. We will contest bypolls and work for midterm polls, which will be held no matter how much political horse trading happens. The government will continue to remain unstable,” Velingkar said.

The former Goa RSS chief said the party has decided to contest 35 seats for midterm polls. “We have begun our preparation,” he said.

During the 2017 assembly elections, GSM had allied with Shiv Sena, MGP and Goa Praja Party, and contested in 33 constituencies.

Velingkar said that for Lok Sabha election the party has given its workers freedom to cast their votes for any candidate they think suitable.

GSM on Monday inaugurated its election office for Mapusa at the hands of Velingkar in the presence of party president Atmaram Gaonkar, Abhay Sawant, Swati Karpe Kerkar, Paresh Raikar and Kishor Raut. Nandan Sawant is the GSM candidate for Mapusa bypoll, while Swaroop Naik will contest for the party in Mandrem and Santosh Satarkar in Shiroda

Earlier this week, GSM had announced that it would contest the bypolls and would also enter the Lok Sabha fray in its sole endeavour to defeat BJP in the state.