Goa: Goa BJP MLA and former state cabinet minister Jennifer Monserrate passed away at a hospital on Sunday following a prolonged illness. She was 56 years old. The prominent legislator represented the high-profile Taleigao assembly constituency in the North Goa district, marking a significant tenure in the state’s political landscape.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed profound grief over the sudden demise of his party colleague. He praised her extensive public service, highlighting that as the first woman MLA elected from Taleigao, she served the citizens of her constituency and the wider state of Goa with deep dedication, dignity, and compassion. The deceased leader belonged to an influential political family in the coastal state; her husband, Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate, is currently a minister in the Sawant cabinet, while her son, Rohit Monserrate, serves as the mayor of the Corporation of the City of Panaji.
Monserrate was a seasoned three-term lawmaker who held the Taleigao seat consecutively since 2012. Originally a member of the Indian National Congress, she made headlines in July 2019 when she became one of the ten opposition MLAs who switched allegiance to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Following the political realignment, she was appointed to the state cabinet, successfully managing the key portfolios of revenue, information technology, as well as labour and employment. She later consolidated her position by securing re-election from the same constituency on a BJP ticket during the 2022 Goa assembly elections. Chief Minister Sawant extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and her numerous supporters, praying for her soul to rest in eternal peace.
