Panaji, March 15 The BJP has shortlisted two names and sent them to the party leadership for selecting the candidate for the Ponda assembly by-election, a party leader said on Sunday after the Election Commission announced the election schedule.
The by-election in the constituency, necessitated by the death of state agriculture minister Ravi Naik, is scheduled for April 9.
"The BJP is prepared to contest the election. The core committee has sent two names to Delhi," said Goa BJP president Damu Naik.
Naik and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will travel to Delhi to discuss the suitable candidate, and expressed confidence in retaining the constituency.
Meanwhile, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar said AICC's Goa in-charge Manikrao Thakrey is already in the coastal state to discuss the name of the candidate.
The Goa Pradesh Election Committee is likely to meet on Monday to finalise the names of probable candidates, which will be sent to Delhi, he added.
He also expressed confidence in victory, citing an "anti-incumbency factor" in the Ponda constituency.
In the 2022 assembly elections, the late Naik had won the Ponda seat by a narrow margin, defeating his nearest rival Ketan Prabhu Bhatikar of MGP. Congress candidate Rajesh Verenkar finished third.