Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal with the party’s Goa chief ministerial candidate, Amit Palekar.  |  Photo Credit: Twitter
Key Highlights
- Noting that the party was not afraid to give electoral tickets to newcomers with conviction, Kejriwal added, “Palekar is the one who is ready to even give his life for Goa”
- Palekar came into the spotlight last year when he lodged a petition in the Bombay High Court, citing rising COVID-19 death rates, and calling for the provision of critical oxygen cylinders to patients at the Goa Medical College and Hospital at the peak of the second wave in India
- AAP’s decision to project Palekar has a strategic element to it. He hails from the numerically prominent Bhandari community that, reportedly, makes up roughly 35 per cent of Goa’s population
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on Wednesday, announced lawyer-turned-politician Amit Palekar as its chief ministerial candidate ahead of the Goa Assembly elections slated to take place next month. The 46-year old lawyer who only recently joined the party is being fielded as AAP’s candidate from the St Cruz constituency currently occupied by a BJP incumbent.
Speaking of the decision on Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said, “Goa wants a change and AAP has been getting a tremendous response in the coastal state. People are impressed with the Delhi model of governance.”
Noting that the party was not afraid to give electoral tickets to newcomers with conviction, Kejriwal added, “Palekar is the one who is ready to even give his life for Goa.”
Who is Amit Palekar?
The son of a former teacher at the Mershi English School and the owner of a grocery shop, Palekar carried out his schooling at the Holy Family School in Parwari before going on to secure a degree in Zoology. Although he had initially planned on pursuing an MBA, he changed course and eventually acquired a Master’s degree in Constitutional Law and Intellectual Property Rights from Goa University.
He began practising law in 1998 and in 2007, was made President of the Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera. He came into the spotlight last year when he lodged a petition in the Bombay High Court, citing rising COVID-19 death rates, and calling for the provision of critical oxygen cylinders to patients at the Goa Medical College and Hospital at the peak of the second wave in India. Palekar’s efforts bore fruit when the high court directed the state government to resolve the medical oxygen shortage.
Palekar, who has previously been outspoken over corruption in the state and its reputation for political defections, made more headlines when he went on an indefinite hunger strike to protest alleged illegal construction taking place at a heritage site in Old Goa.
His efforts were lauded by Delhi CM Kejriwal who tweeted, “Really proud of you Amit for standing against those who are trying to destroy Goa. You are risking your life to save Old Goa. I’ll pray for you and thousands of other people who are fighting to save the Old Goa heritage site.” The strike proved to be successful with the local panchayat eventually revoking all construction permits granted.
AAP’s decision to project Palekar has a strategic element to it. He hails from the numerically prominent Bhandari community that, reportedly, makes up roughly 35 per cent of Goa’s population. The Delhi chief minister and party chief has previously drawn attention to the political marginalisation of the Bhandaris, noting that “they are the biggest section of society but in the last 60 years, only one person has been the chief minister from this community.”
Voting across all 40 seats in the BJP-ruled state will begin on February 14. The state is expected to witness a multi-polar contest this time around with the ruling BJP facing challengers in the form of the Congress, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, the Shiv-Sena-NCP combine and AAP.