Panaji, Jul 5 (TOI): With a few months ahead for the assembly election, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to take political mileage out of chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar's birthday by holding a grand celebration at Taleigao on Tuesday.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar and Ayush minister Shripad Naik are expected to attend the function, but due to the Union cabinet expansion, Union minister of shipping, road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, and member of Parliament and Goa desk in-charge Parshottam Rupala may not be present at the function.

A senior BJP leader said that Gadkari will not be present as there is a cabinet meeting in Delhi, while Parrikar will take special permission and come to Goa to attend the birthday function. This is the first time that Parsekar is celebrating his birthday in Panaji. On Monday, Parsekar was in his constituency, to meet his electorate on his birthday. BJP has invited around 5,000 BJP workers to attend the function. This is a big opportunity for the BJP to increase the popularity of the chief minister before the next assembly elections. BJP has already started to work towards further increasing the popularity of the chief minister as elections are around the corner. BJP state unit president Vinay Tendulkar, earlier, had said that Parsekar would lead the party in the 2017 assembly elections.

There is a possibility that a political message may be sent across the party cadre through the birthday bash and ask them to begin work for the election. Ruling out any major announcement during the birthday bash, a senior BJP leader said that it remains to be seen what the leaders say in their speech. The BJP had a grand celebration in Panaji to mark Parrikar's 60th birthday on December 13, 2015. Last month, tourism minister Dilip Parulekar celebrated his 51st birthday with a bang in Saligao. It was attended by top BJP leaders, and last Saturday, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo had a gala celebration in his constituency to celebrate his birthday.