PANAJI: Utpal Parrikar, son of former Goa Chief Minister Late Manohar Parrikar on Saturday said that circumstances forced him to take a decision of contesting as an independent candidate from Panaji in the ensuing Goa Assembly polls.

Utpal also said that he will try to meet each person in Panaji and know about their problems.

Speaking to ANI ahead of the Goa Assembly elections, he said, "I will try to meet each person in Panaji. The circumstances forced me to take this decision (of contesting an independent candidate) from Panaji. I want to give people a good option in candidates."

Utpal Parrikar, son of former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, filed his nomination papers from the Panaji Assembly constituency on Thursday.

Last week, he resigned from the primary membership of BJP after the party denied him a ticket from the Panaji constituency and fielded Congress party turncoat Atanasio "Babush" Monserrate.

After BJP snubbed him, Parrikar decided to contest the upcoming Goa election as an independent candidate.

Meanwhile, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said that the central leaders of BJP were in conversation with Utpal and had offered him two constituencies to contest the election in the upcoming Goa Assembly polls.

Goa is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.