Senior BJP leader urges late Manohar Parrikar's two sons to join politics

A senior BJP leader has urged late Manohar Parrikar's two sons to enter politics, Goa party unit chief Vinay Tendulkar disclosed Monday. Parrikar, a hugely popular leader, died on March 17 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer and there has been speculation since that his elder son Utpal may be fielded for the Panaji bypoll necessitated due to the former's death.

Parrikar has one more son, Abhijat. Utpal had lighted his father's pyre on March 18. Tendulkar Monday told reporters that BJP national vice president Avinash Rai Khanna had broached the topic with Parrikar's sons and urged them to join politics, when he made a condolence visit to the departed leader's family.

"He (Khanna) just mentioned it casually during the conversation," Tendulkar said, adding that the sons did not respond as "the occasion was not right". Tendulkar, a Rajya Sabha MP from the coastal state, said the local party unit would follow-up on Khanna's request to Parrikar's sons. A date for the Panaji bypoll is yet to be announced by the Election Commission. Both Utpal and Abhijat could not be reached for comments.