Laxmikant Parsekar Confirms Plan to Rejoin BJP, Contest Mandrem

Former Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar has announced plans to contest the state Assembly elections expected in early 2027 and expressed his intention to return to the BJP. Parsekar is keen to contest from his traditional Mandrem constituency in north Goa, but the presence of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) MLA Jit Arolkar could complicate the BJP’s calculations. Arolkar is an ally of the BJP through the MGP and is considered to have moved closer to the ruling party and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.

Parsekar, a former RSS and BJP veteran, served as Goa chief minister from 2014 to 2017 and represented Mandrem for three terms. He suffered a major setback in the 2017 Assembly election when Congress candidate Dayanand Sopte defeated him. Sopte later joined the BJP and contested the Mandrem by-election in 2019. When the BJP renominated Sopte for the 2022 Assembly election, Parsekar left the party and contested as an Independent, finishing third.

Parsekar’s independent candidacy is believed to have contributed to Sopte’s defeat in 2022, when Arolkar emerged victorious. Arolkar contested on an MGP ticket at a time when the party was in a pre-poll alliance with the Trinamool Congress. Parsekar has now said he and Sopte had an understanding that either of them would contest Mandrem, arguing that the constituency was not traditionally an MGP seat. He also suggested that his independent campaign had hurt Sopte’s prospects in the previous election.

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Speaking about his plans, Parsekar said he would rejoin the BJP “at the right occasion” and confirmed that he wanted to contest the upcoming election. However, he declined to comment on whether he would contest as an Independent if Arolkar were to join the BJP. The question is significant because Arolkar is reportedly being viewed as increasingly close to the BJP and has even been linked with the possibility of taking over as MGP president from Pandurang “Deepak” Dhavalikar.

The MGP currently has two MLAs in Goa’s 40-member Assembly, including Arolkar and Power Minister Ramakrishna “Sudin” Dhavalikar. The party is widely speculated to be considering an independent electoral strategy, while there is also speculation that the Assembly elections could be advanced. Arolkar, a former police constable and volleyball player from the Bhandari OBC community, could be an important factor in the BJP’s approach to Mandrem, particularly if the MGP chooses to contest the seat independently.

Parsekar’s political history also gives the Mandrem contest wider significance within Goa’s BJP evolution. He joined the RSS and was drafted to work for the BJP in 1989 alongside leaders including Rajendra Arlekar and Shripad Naik, later working alongside Manohar Parrikar. Parsekar’s return could help the BJP reconnect with a veteran figure and sections of its traditional support base, but the party will have to balance his ambitions against its alliance with the MGP and Arolkar’s position. With the next Assembly election approaching, Mandrem could therefore emerge as a closely watched seat in Goa’s political contest.

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