Margao: Former MP Narendra Sawaikar is a front runner in the race for ticket for South Goa, with stalwarts like Ramesh Tawadkar and Digambar Kamat refusing to take the offer, if given.
The former MP has been popular amongst the BJP cadres and also due to his association with the farmers through Goa Bagayatdar Society Limited, has been considered as a popular and loyal candidate.
BJP leaders including Damu Naik, Ramesh Tawadkar, Chandrakant Kavlekar and Digambar Kamat were initially considered along with Sawaikar for the ticket.
Party sources confirmed that Damu Naik is being trained to be next BJP Goa president after the tenure of Sadanand Shet Tanavade gets over, sometimes in May this year.
Tawadkar and Kamat have cleared that they are not interested for the ticket.
Kavlekar is not from the cadres, though the Quepem-based leader have been projecting himself as a candidate for more than six months now.
Few party leaders on the condition of anonymity said that Kavlekar also does not belong to the BJP cadre and has apparently is having non acceptance amongst the leaders like Subhash Phil Desai who are heavyweights in South Goa.
Even considering the caste equation, Kavlekar remains a bad candidate for the party.
BJP is expected to announce its candidates in few days from now.
