Panaji, Aug 3 (IANS): The Congress in Goa on Wednesday announced its candidates for the August 23 by-polls for the Panaji and Valpoi assembly constituencies.

State Congress president Shantaram Naik said that All India Congress Committee Secretary Girish Chodankar would be contesting the Panaji assembly by-poll against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, while Roy Naik, son of former Home Minister Ravi Naik, would be fielded from the Valpoi assembly constituency.

"We are confident of winning both seats because the BJP in Goa is discredited," Naik told reporters at the state Congress headquarters in Panaji.

The Panaji by-elections were necessitated after sitting BJP MLA Sidharth Kuncolienkar resigned to make way for Parrikar, who is still a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh.

The other by-election will be held in Valpoi assembly constituency, 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.

Both Parrikar and Rane have filed their nomination for the by-polls.