Mandrem MLA and Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Dayanand Sopte has launched his election campaign in the Mandrem Assembly seat by offering gold ornaments and coconuts to Shri Bhagwati Devi at Parse on Monday.
Even though BJP has not announced the candidature, Dayanand Sopte along with hundreds of supporters started his campaign by placing gold ornaments and fruits on village deity Shri Bhagwati Devi at Parse Yerthil.
Sopte, who had defeated former Chief Minister Lamikant Parsekar in the 2017 Assembly election, defected to BJP. According to reports, Parsekar also is eyeing a BJP ticket from Mandrem.
Expressing his gratitude to the people of Mandrem, Sopte said, "I gave up his MLA post in 2019 only for the benefit of the people and the same voters re-elected him as MLA in the by-elections and later Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant gave him the post of Chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation."
"We will be grateful to our workers for the rest of our lives. We are aware of poverty and we are also poor MLAs," he added.
BJP Mandrem constituency observer Gorakh Mandrekar said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is number one in terms of getting development to the constituency while Sopte comes after Sawant.
Goa Pradesh Yuva BJP Morcha President Sameer Mandrekar, Mandre BJP Mandal President Madhu Parab, Goa Pradesh Mahila Vice President Nayani Shetgaonkar, Prajakta Kannayik, Ekta Chodankar, Mandre Mahila Morcha President Deepa Talkar, Anisha Kerkar, Parse Sarpanch Pragati Sopte, Tuye Sarpanch Suhas Naik, Goa Development Tourism Corporation Director Rajan Kadkade were also present.