Mapusa, Jan 9 (TOI): While the dates for the bypolls in Mandrem and Shiroda constituency are yet to be declared, the BJP’s Morjim block has thrown its weight behind the former MLA and former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar as a BJP candidate for the vacant seat.

“If the state-level BJP leadership denies the ticket to Laxmikant Parsekar, then the Morjim block BJP committee and the party workers will remain loyal to Laxmikant Parsekar and we demand that Parsekar should contest the election if required even as the independent candidate,” said Bhikaji Govekar, Morjim gram shakti pramukh of BJP.

“We want that party leaders must take cognisance of the work done by Parsekar to nurture BJP in Mandrem constituency and in the state. The BJP ticket for the bypolls should be given to him,” said Morjim BJP gram pramukh Swapnil Shetgaonkar, addressing the press conference in Morjim on Tuesday.

Morjim is one of the villages which constitute Mandrem constituency. The seat has been vacant since mid-October when sitting Congress MLA Dayanand Sopte joined the BJP. Along with Sopte, Subhash Shirodkar quit as Congress MLA from Shiroda and joined BJP. A few days later, he was made chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation, while Shirodkar was given chairmanship of Economic Development Corporation.

BJP’s decision to admit Sopte into the party fold had led to fierce reaction from Parsekar who had lashed out at the local party leadership and also chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

Sources also said that in recent times, Parsekar had three village-wise meetings in the constituency, one just before the induction of Sopte, one after the induction of Sopte and third is ongoing to connect with the people.

After Congress legislator Sopte resigned as MLA and joined BJP, political equations are getting more complex in Mandrem constituency. BJP’s Mandrem block had flatly denied accepting the candidature of Sopte and condemned his entry into BJP claiming that it was without intimating a single BJP worker.

Sources said there have been no changes made in the Mandrem block BJP committee after the induction of Sopte in BJP and all members and office bearers remain the same who had earlier worked for Parsekar. All 46 booth committees also remain the same and it is up to the state-level committee to either dissolve the committee or reconstitute it to suit the new entrant.