Former Social Welfare Minister Milind Naik
Gomantak Times
Former Social Welfare Minister Milind Naik, who resigned as minister over alleged scandal case, has been named as the BJP party’s candidate from Mormugao constituency in the upcoming Goa assembly elections.
On Thursday, the ruling party in Goa released its first list of 34 candidates for next month's Goa Assembly elections.
The former urban development minister resigned from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's cabinet in December, last year, over an alleged sex abuse case. Naik had said he resigned from the post to ensure a free and fair probe into the case.
However, Goa police have declined to register a case against Naik after the victim rebutted the allegation.
In November, Congress state President Girish Chodankar had first alleged, without naming Naik, that a minister was involved in a sex scandal. He alleged that a Bihar-based woman was sexually exploited by the minister.
Meanwhile, BJP has named Chief Minister Pramod Sawant as its candidate from Sanquelim. In Panaji, BJP has denied a ticket to Utpal Parrikar, son of the late BJP leader and former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar,
Divya Rane, the wife of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, has been named candidate from the Poriem seat. She may face former chief minister and her father-in-law Pratap Singh Rane in the election.
Deputy Chief Minister Manohar 'Babu" Ajgaonkar and Pernem MLA has been given candidature from Margao. He will take on Congress MLA and leader of opposition Digambar Kamat.
In the 2017 Assembly polls, Congress had won 17 seats in the tiny coastal state to emerge as the single largest party. However, the BJP, which was in second place in terms of seats, quickly stitched an alliance with smaller parties and Independent MLAs to form its government in Goa.
The election for the 40 seats will take place on February 14, and the ballots will be counted on March 10.