Mapusa, Mar 21 (TOI): Former education minister Sangita Parab rejoined Congress on Sunday. The move in the election year has set the ball rolling for the election mode in Mandrem constituency represented by chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

In 2002, Sangita Parab contested on a Congress ticket and lost to Parsekar. In 2007, Ramakant Khalap managed to get the Congress ticket which made Parab join hands with the trust run by Sameer Salgaoncar. She lost to Parsekar again. In 2012, Parab supported BJP.

Though Congress has not announced a ticket for Parab for the general assembly election, likely in 2017, what remains curious for Congress party workers is who will get the ticket. Will it be the Congress candidate in 2012, the last-minute BJP dissident Dayanand Sopte, senior Congressman and former Union minister Ramakant Khalap or the newly-rejoined Parab.

Parab, who joined Congress along with her son Sachin Parab, staged a rally from her house in Paliem and culminated it in a public meeting at Mandrem. Congress leaders MP Shantaram Naik, former Union minister Ramakant Khalap, former MLA Jitendra Deshprabhu, Dayanand Sopte, Babu Azgaonkar, Pramod Salgaonkar, Babi Bagkar were present at the meeting.

Sopte said that it was for the first time, Congress leaders came onto a single platform. "Congress leaders should continue to remain together. I assure that the party workers that I am here to win for the Congress candidate. Whoever may get the ticket, I request senior Congress leaders to guide us and keep us on track," Sopte said.

"I had reasons to leave the party. People tell me that because of me, Parsekar is getting elected. Now the times have changed. Congress leaders are together," she said.

Mandrem constituency was represented by MGP for over three decades. The trend was broken by Sangita Parab, who became minister for a single term in the Congress government headed by Pratapsingh Rane. After that, Mandrem has been in BJP's hands.