BJP MP and former minister Jennifer Monserrate died on Sunday after a long illness, her family said. She was 56 years old.
Monserrat, who was the wife of Revenue Secretary Atanacio “Baboush” Monserrat, was first elected on a Congress ticket in the Talegao Assembly constituency on the outskirts of the state capital Panaji alongside her husband who stood from the neighboring Santa Cruz constituency.
The pair switched to the BJP in 2019 as part of a group of ten Congress legislators who made the switch and she was appointed to the Cabinet as IT and Revenue Minister soon after.
“I am deeply pained by the sad demise of Ms. Jennifer Monserrat Ji, MLA from Talegao and former Cabinet Minister. As the first woman MLA from Talegao and a three-term legislator, she served the people of her constituency and Goa with dedication and compassion. My heartfelt condolences to the family, and to her countless well-wishers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party also offered its condolences to the family.
“She served the Talegao people with dedication, compassion and commitment. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” the party said in a statement.
Monserrat, who had been ill for some time, had withdrawn from public life over the past few months as she prioritized her health.
She is succeeded by her husband and Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrat and her son Rohit Monserrat, who serves as mayor of Panjim.
