Voting is underway for Goa Elections 2022 where 301 candidates are in the fray for 40 assembly seats. Apart from the ruling BJP and Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) are also in fray to expand their footprint beyond the traditional bases of Delhi and West Bengal respectively.
prime candidate Goa Election These include Chief Minister Pramod Sawant (BJP), Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat (Congress), former Chief Minister Churchill Alemao (TMC), Ravi Naik (BJP), Laxmikant Parsekar (Independent), former Deputy CM Vijay Sardesai (GFP) and Sudin. Dhavalikar (MGP) is in a face-off with late CM Manohar Parrikar’s son Utpal Parrikar and AAP’s CM Amit Palekar.
Here’s the high-stakes lowdown on the February 14 Goa election in the three most-visited constituencies:
Panaji: Sunny Side Up
The most talked-about candidate for the Panaji assembly seat is Utpal Parrikar, son of late Manohar Parrikar, who is contesting as an independent once from his father’s constituency after being denied a ticket by the BJP. The BJP is all out to claim Parrikar’s legacy this time, with some party leaders even saying that he never wanted his son in politics.
He is up against BJP candidate and sitting MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate. A seasoned politician, Monserrate has lost only once – in 2017 to Parrikar’s protagonist Siddhartha Kunkalinkar. He joined the BJP in July 2019 and won the Panaji by-election in 2019 after Parrikar’s death. Monserrate also played a key role in the Congress members joining the BJP in 2019.
BJP insiders say Monserrate will be an influential factor in the three seats he had contested earlier, namely Santa Cruz, Taleigao and Panaji. He is also said to have clout among a section of the Catholic electorate.
Meanwhile, Utpal Parrikar opted for the sympathy card and accused the BJP of mistreating him and disrespecting his father’s hard work for the party.
Defending the decision of not giving Panaji ticket to Utpal, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told News18: “Utpal was asked to choose from three seats and leave Panaji for the sitting MLA. Senior leaders spoke to him and tried to reason with him. But a party worker cannot be so stubborn.
Porime: Rumble of the Rains
The Porim assembly constituency in Goa has been a Congress stronghold from where Pratapsinh Rane was elected since 1972. However, this time Rane withdrew from the fight as his daughter-in-law Deviya Rane is contesting on a BJP ticket. Deviya Rane’s husband and Pratapsinh Rane’s son Vishwajit Rane is contesting from Valpoi constituency and is said to have tussles in Porim as well.
To retain its stronghold, the Congress has fielded Ranjit Singh Rane, whose father Jaisingrao Rane was an MLA when Goa was a union territory.
AAP has fielded Vishwajit Krishnarao Rane, who was the runner-up in the last election, when he contested on a BJP ticket.
Margao: Former Chief Minister Vs Deputy Chief Minister
Former Chief Minister and Congress Leader Digambar Kamati He is contesting from Margao for eight times. The BJP has fielded Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar, who won from Pernem constituency last time. BJP sources transferred Ajgaonkar to Margao to beat the anti-incumbency wave in Pernem.
The seat falls in the Catholic-dominated Salsette belt and is considered difficult for the BJP. If Congress comes to power, Kamat could be one of the contenders for the chief minister’s post.
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