Poll Talk

Congress President Sonia Gandhi will campaign in the five poll-bound states only if her health permits, while Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting in Goa, AICC leader Digvijay Singh said.

“We have scheduled a public meeting of Rahul Gandhi in Goa at the fag end of election campaign. Sonia Gandhi may also come subject to her health. If she is campaigning in Punjab and UP, then she may also come to Goa,” he said. Singh said leaders like Sachin Pilot and Jyotriaditya Scindia will campaign for the party. “Our entire campaign would be more door to door. We will run a very low subdued campaign and bring to the notice of people, each case, where the BJP has done U-turn,” he said. 

A Total of 124 nominations were filed on Tuesday that included former BJP Minister Ramesh Tawadkar contesting as independent from Canacona- the sitting MLA who was denied ticket by party.

With this, the total number of nominations filed in 40 assembly constituency stands at 194. The last date for filing the nomination papers is Wednesday.  Additional Chief Electoral officer (CEO) Narayan Navti said that total 124 nominations were filed on Tuesday with maximum number of nominations coming from Velim constituency that is nine and seven from Mapusa. Former Congress Minister Joaquim Alemao has also filed as independent from Cuncolim.  The candidates like Atanasio Monserrate, his wife Jennifer, Rohan Khaunte, Dayanand Mandrekar, Dayanand Sopte, Lavoo Mamledar, Ravi Naik, Chandrakant Kavalekar, Filip Nery Rodrigues, Milind Naik, Mauvin Godinho, Pandurang Madkaikar, Francisco Pacheco, were amongst few who filed the nominations. Of the total 124 nominations, 29 candidates are Independent, 21 each from Congress and BJP, 19 from MGP-Goa Suraksha Manch, 13 from AAP , two each from Goa Forward and Goa Su-Raj Party, and one each from Goa Praja Party and Samajwadi party. 

The scrutiny of the applications will be done on January 19 while the withdrawals will take place on January 21.