Quepem: Deputy Minister of Chief Chandrakan Kavlekar can face a severe challenge to maintain his holder in 2022 after Arjun Velatip and Raul Pereira, loyal supporters of Quepem Mla, announced plans to oppose the next assembly selection of him.
Arjun, a Panchayat Secretary and former private secretary to Deputy Minister of Chief, on Monday submit his resignation and stated that he would oppose the election of the Assembly in Quepem.
Pereira is a council member at the Quepem City Council during his last term and holds the position of chairman on many occasions.
He had opposed the election of the assembly at the Congress ticket in 1997, but was lost with a narrow margin of about 600 votes to Prakash Velip.
Arjun is currently holding back costs as a secretary in Benaulim Pancayat.
He was Kavlekar’s personal assistant during the last first reign as MLA in 2002, but then stopped to join government work.
“When Kavlekar became the deputy minister after deflecting from Congress, I was given a fee as a personal secretary for Kavlekar.
However, I parted with him because of differences of opinion,” Arjun said.
Arjun submitted his resignation to block development officers, Salcete, Monday.
Velip told Tii that he had submitted his resignation to oppose the upcoming election against Kavlekar, but refused to divulge details about which parties he planned to compete.
“Many parties have approached me, but I will make a decision only after the government accepts my resignation,” he said.
Help near Arjun, Rupesh Veliip said that Arjun would claim the Congress ticket because he had held many posts in Congress as President of Blok and Seva Dal from 1999 to 2006.
“When Kavlekar first won the election of Zilla on the Congress ticket, Arjun also submitted his nomination together with Kavlekar, but then interesting his nomination to support Kavlekar.
Arjun’s father, Sonu Velasip, is a member of the founder of the Congress, “Rupesh said.