Porvorim (Goa): BJP legislator Siddharth Kuncalienkar on Wednesday resigned as MLA, sending Panaji constituency into a by-election.

Kuncalienkar who was elected twice from Panaji constituency resigned before Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Pramod Sawant at Secretariate at 12.12 p.m.

The move aims at making way for Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to get elected to the State Legislative Assembly. Parrikar who was sworn in as the CM on March 14, 2017 will have to be elected as an MLA within six months of taking charge.

Parrikar who was given a choice between Curchorem and Panaji constituency to chose had decided to retain his bastion.

This would be the fourth election in last six years faced by Panaji constituency – 2012, 2015, 2017. Kuncalienkar had volunteered to resign as the MLA.

Kuncalienkar was pitted against United Goans’ candidate Atanasio Monserratte during recently held election which he won by a narrow margin.

Team TNV