In a historic move, Pallavi Dempo, an entrepreneur and educationist from Goa, has been nominated as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate for the South Goa constituency in the upcoming general elections. Ms. Dempo, known for her role as the executive director of Dempo Industries, becomes the first woman candidate in the BJP’s electoral history in Goa.
With a background in chemistry and business management, having earned her graduate and postgraduate degrees from MIT, Pune, Ms. Dempo brings a wealth of expertise to the political arena at the age of 49. Her responsibilities at Dempo Industries include overseeing the media and real estate divisions of the company.
The South Goa seat, currently held by Congress leader Francisco Sardinha, has a significant political history. Despite being won by the BJP only twice since 1962, the party has chosen Ms. Dempo to contest this constituency, comprising 20 assembly segments.
Ms. Dempo’s husband, Shrinivas Dempo, a prominent industrialist heading the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries, adds to the family’s influence in the region. Furthermore, the Dempo family’s commitment to social initiatives is evident through their adoption of government high schools, providing vocational training to girls under the Rural School Adoption Programme.
In addition to her corporate and social endeavors, Pallavi Dempo is actively involved in cultural exchange efforts as the president of the Indo-German Educational and Cultural Society. She also serves as a trustee of the Moda Goa Foundation, a fashion and textile museum, and has contributed to academic institutions as a member of the Goa University’s academic council from 2012 to 2016.
Ms. Dempo’s involvement in various organizations extends to her role in the managing committee of the Goa Cancer Society and the core committee of the All India Management Association’s Women’s Council – AIMA Aspire.
The nomination of Pallavi Dempo by the BJP marks a significant step in Goa’s political landscape, reflecting both her individual merit and the party’s strategic decisions for the upcoming elections.
