The BJP has named Sadanand Mhalu-Shet Tanavade as the party's candidate from Goa for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha election. Tanavade's candidature was decided upon at the BJP Goa unit's meeting held last week. The current Member of Parliament Vinay Tendulkar's term will conclude on July 31.


Since 2020, Tanavade has been leading the Goa unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after previously serving as a member of the Goa legislative assembly from 2002 to 2007. The BJP core committee meeting was held to finalize the party's candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat and to strategize for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 



The deadline for filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls is July 13, with the election scheduled to take place on July 24, followed by the counting of votes on the same day. The BJP candidate is expected to have a smooth path to victory since the party holds 33 out of the 40 seats in the Goa Legislative Assembly, while the Congress has three seats, AAP has two, and the GFP and RGP have one seat each.


At the meeting last week, the BJP core committee directed its leaders to focus on increasing the party's vote share in both the North and South constituencies in preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, reported the local media firm Herald Group. Currently, the BJP holds the North Goa seat, while the Congress maintains its stronghold in the South.


The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies currently hold 33 out of the 40 seats in the Goa Assembly. The opposition party, Congress, has three members, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has two members. Additionally, the Goa Forward Party and the Revolutionary Goans Party each have one legislator.


In contrast, the AAP's Goa president, Amit Palekar, announced on Tuesday that his party would not nominate a candidate for the Rajya Sabha election due to a lack of sufficient numbers. He further stated that the AAP would not participate in the election process to avoid wasting the valuable time of the Assembly. Palekar mentioned that the party would consider contesting the Rajya Sabha election once they have adequate representation in the Goa Assembly.


When asked about supporting the Congress candidate, Palekar replied that the party has not yet announced its candidate for the election, and a decision regarding support will be made in due course.


(With PTI inputs.)


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