"We will win 22 plus seats in these 2022 elections," Sawant said after filing his nomination papers in the company of Bharatiya Janata Party's Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis.

 

Thursday also saw two other significant former BJP personalities filing their nomination papers as independent candidates.

 

Former BJP Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who resigned from the BJP last week filed nomination papers as an independent candidate from the Mandrem Assembly constituency.

 

Parsekar said that any dialogue with the BJP was not an option anymore.

 

He also said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was living in a fool's paradise to expect any form of discussions any further.

 

"People are free to live in fools' paradise, work their brains, make assumptions they are free to... Those who claim that talks are on, should come before me and raise their head and start talking to me by looking at me in the eye. I am not the one to succumb to the pressure of party seniors," Parsekar said.

 

Former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal also filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate.

 

Utpal had resigned from the BJP after he was denied a ticket by the ruling party, which opted for sitting BJP MLA Atanasio Monserrate instead.

 

"...my father had worked in Panaji. I want to follow his footsteps. I will give 200 per cent hardwork. This is what I want to tell the people of Panaji," Utpal Parrikar said.