Panjim, Goa's capital and bastion of late BJP stalwart Manohar Parrikar, is witnessing an interesting contest.
BJP has fielded Parrikar's long-time rival and former Congressman Babush Monserratte, ignoring the claim of Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar.
It has now become a battle between a Don and a dynast.
Manohar Parrikar represented the Panaji seat for 25 years. After his death in 2019, Monserrate won the prestigious seat on a Congress ticket.
Then came the big shift. Monserrate switched to the BJP wholesale with his wife and eight other Congress MLAs to bulk up the BJP's ranks.
It is this big move that made Monserrate the BJP's blue-eyed boy. And the party has decided to deny Utpal Parrikar the ticket who is now contesting from his father's bastion as an independent.
Babush is a 5-time MLA and has represented Taleigaon, St Cruz and then Panjim.
He has a number of serious criminal charges against him. Most talked about among them are:
2008: Charged with attack on Panjim police station.
2016: Arrested on charges of raping a minor. A 16-year-old claimed that she was bought by Monserrate for 50 lakhs and raped.
Both the cases are at the trial stage.
Monserrate has denied all the charges and has called them politically motivated.
Monserrate's wife Jennifer is also contesting on a BJP ticket for Taleigao seat.
Babush Moserrate is a quintessential politician. Variously described as controversial, strongman and a Don.
Taking him on is the dynast, who claims to be the rightful heir the Parrikar legacy. Utpal's main grouse against the BJP is the ticket to his dad's main rival Babush Monserrate. He had earlier said that he was ready to withdraw from the race if the BJP fielded a "clean candidate", a dart clearly aimed at Monserrate.
Till Parrikar senior was around, no one knew much of his sons - Utpal and Abhijit.
Manohar Parrikar did not want his son to join politics, a fact Utpal admitted.
Utpal appeared on the political scene after his father's death. After all nothing shines brighter than Parrikar surname in Goa.
First disappointment for the media shy, technocrat came at the first step. BJP fielded former MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar from Panaji in 2019 bypoll, who lost to then Congress loyal Atanasio ‘Babush' Monserrate.
March 10 will tell if Utpal Parrikar will walk into the Assembly as an MLA? IF he does, it will be the win of the surname. If he doesn't, it will be curtains on Utpal's short political journey, while Parrikar's legacy will live on.