BJP to immerse ex-CM Parrikar’s ashes in rivers across Goa’s 40 constituencies

PANAJI: The Goa unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party will immerse the ashes of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar in rivers in all 40 constituencies in the state, even as the party reached out to Parrikar’s sons, Utpal and Abhijat, to take his legacy forward.

“The ashes will be distributed among 40 constituencies and the ‘visarjan’ (immersion) will be completed by March 27,” state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar said at a press conference on Monday.

› The ashes will be distributed among 40 constituencies and the visarjan (immersion) will be completed by March 27 VINAY TENDULKAR , state BJP chief

The move, he said, was to help people who couldn’t make it to the funeral or were unable to pay their last respects to the late chief minister.

The seven days state mourning for the former CM ended on Sunday while the 12-day period of mourning will complete on March 28. Parrikar passed away on March 17 after losing his yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer. BJP meanwhile has urged Parrikar’s sons to join to carry forward their father’s legacy.

“BJP national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna has requested both of Parrikar’s sons to join the party when he met them after Parrikar’s death…,” Tendulkar said when asked whether there was a move to bring them on board after their father’s demise.

“They are yet to indicate whether they will do so as over the last few days they were in mourning,” Tendulkar said.

When asked whether the party’s ticket would be offered to Parrikar’s sons, Tendulkar, however, said that it was too early since the by-election was yet to be declared by the Election Commission. Parrikar’s elder son Utpal is being urged by various quarters to join politics with the party expecting that the voting for the by-election for the Panaji seat, vacant after Parrikar’s death, will be held along with the Lok Sabha elections in the state on April 23.