Panaji, Mar 21 (TOI): After GFP vice-president Atanasio Monserrate expressed his interest to contest the byelection for the Panaji assembly seat, former BJP Panaji MLA Sidharth Kuncalienker said he is confident that BJP will be able to convince Monserrate not to contest the polls. Kuncalienker is the frontrunner for a BJP ticket for the seat.

“When we are in an alliance, it is not healthy to contest. I dont think he will be contesting,” Kuncalienker told TOI. GFP with its three MLAs is an alliance partner of the now Pramod Sawant-led government.

“I think we are overeacting, he has only expressed his interest to his party,” said Kuncalienker, who became the Panaji MLA and retained the seat for BJP when former chief minister Manohar Parrikar was appointed the country’s defence minister. When Parrikar returned in 2017 as Goa chief minister, Kuncalienker vacated the Panaji seat for him. Kuncalienker had defeated Monserrate by over 1,000 votes in the February 2017 polls.

Following the passing away of Parrikar, who had been winning the seat since 1994, the seat is vacant again.

On Tuesday, Monserrate said he would “contest the Panaji byelection and there are no two ways about it”.

Monserrate wanted to contest the polls from Panaji earlier too, but had decided not to plunge into the race in 2017 “because Manohar Parrikar returned as chief minister”.