Meet Pallavi Dempo, BJP's first-ever woman LS candidate from Goa
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Pallavi Dempo as its candidate for the South Goa constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
This is a first for the BJP, having never before selected a woman candidate from this coastal state for the general election.
A newcomer to politics, Dempo's name figured in the party's fifth list of candidates which revealed contenders for 111 seats on Sunday.
Gratitude
Dempo expresses gratitude for nomination
Following her nomination, Dempo expressed her gratitude to the BJP and committed to striving for victory.
She said, "I am deeply grateful to the BJP for this nomination and accept it with all humility. We will try our level best to win this seat."
Dempo also voiced her faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
She said that Modi empowers everyone irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
Profile
Look at Dempo's background
Dempo is an industrialist and holds the position of executive director at Dempo Industries Limited.
She also serves as a trustee at Dempo Charities Trust and manages the media and real estate sectors of the group's businesses.
Her husband, Shrinivas Dempo, is the chairman of Goa-based Dempo Group of Companies.
Notably, the couple has been involved in electoral funding.
Records indicate that Shrinivas purchased electoral bonds worth Rs. 1.25 crore personally, while four company subsidiaries also donated via electoral bonds.
BJP speaks
BJP confident of Dempo win
Despite the Congress's Francisco Sardinha currently holding the South Goa seat and having won it 10 times previously, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed confidence in Dempo's victory.
He stated, "This is an opportunity to create history. I appeal to all the women to vote in large numbers. We will win the South Goa seat with a margin of 60,000 votes."
To recall, the BJP has previously won this seat twice, in 1999 and 2014.
Congress reacts
Congress criticizes BJP's choice of Dempo
The BJP's decision to field Dempo has been met with criticism from Congress leaders who accused the party of selecting an "outsider" and overlooking party workers.
The grand old party's Goa chief , Amit Patkar, said, "They have given ticket to a person who joined the BJP today. The karyakartas who worked for the party have been ignored."
He expressed confidence that the Congress will win the South Goa seat.