Utpal to meet BJP brass, discuss his precise role

PANAJI: Former chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s son Utpal said on Saturday that he would meet the party leadership to discuss his precise role in Panaji and state politics.
A day after BJP lost the Panaji assembly seat, its state president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar said the party would take a decision on Utpal’s role.
“I will meet party leaders to discuss my exact role in Panaji and state politics,” Utpal said.
“I will work with Panaji karyakartas and the party leadership to win back the Panaji seat and the trust of Panajikars,” Utpal told TOI. His father, who represented the constituency since 1994, saw his victory margin rise with every election.
Utpal was considered a frontrunner for the Panaji bypoll, necessitated by his father’s death, but the party leadership decided not to field him. Chief minister Pramod Sawant, responding to a query whether the party’s prospects would have been different had the Panaji ticket been given to Utpal instead of Sidharth Kuncalienker, said that fielding Kuncalienker was the party’s decision and that he’d like not to comment on it.
Utpal called the loss of the Panaji seat “painful”, adding, “I am only reminded of the words uttered by our leader Atalji (Vajpayee) when BJP was reduced to two seats, that BJP would come back, so no need to get disheartened”.
Utpal also said that in a democracy, collective wisdom always lies with the people. “We have to work hard and win back the people’s trust,” he said.
A political observer said that it appeared that people didn’t want the BJP candidate to win in Panaji but gave the lead to Lok Sabha MP Shripad Naik. He said that even if ifs and buts don’t work in politics, Utpal contesting the Panaji byelection would definitely have made a difference.