SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Independent candidate and son of Goa’s former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, Utpal, was among the prominent and much discussed about candidates, who filed their nominations on Thursday. With just a day left for the nomination process to end, a total of 310 candidates filed their candidature till date for the February 14 poll.
On Thursday alone around 254 nominations were filed including those of dummy candidates.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant filed his nomination from Sanquelim in the presence of BJP election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis. The upcoming election is set to be litmus test for two times MLA Sawant, who will be leading BJP to retain power in 2022.
A winner from Sanquelim in 2012 and 2017, Sawant was elevated by the BJP to the position of Chief Minister after the demise of the holder of the office, Manohar Parrikar in 2019.
Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar filed his nominations from Margao, from where he is contesting on a BJP ticket, after almost over a decade. He had won the last election from Pernem constituency, which is his traditional seat.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane (Valpoi) and Minister for Revenue Jennifer Monserrate (Taleigao) also filed their nominations on BJP tickets. Both had resigned from Congress and joined BJP in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Rane’s wife Divya, too filed her nomination from Poriem constituency that has been represented by her father-in-law for the last 50 years.
The major focus of the nomination was Panjim on Thursday, as Utpal filed his candidature as Independent from the constituency that his father – Manohar Parrikar represented since 1994 till his demise in March 2019. Utpal decided to contest as an independent after BJP denied him ticket and announced incumbent MLA Atanasio Monserrate as their candidate. Monserrate too filed his nominations on Thursday.
Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker and Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar, who initially declined to contest citing health grounds, filed nomination.
Former BJP Minister Michael Lobo (Calangute) and his wife Delilah (Siolim) also filed nominations in Congress symbol.
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat also filed nominations from Margao while ex-CM Ravi Naik, who joined BJP last month, too submitted papers from Ponda constituency.
In Fatorda, Goa Forward Party (GFP) President Vijai Sardesai and his arch rival Damodar Naik (BJP), filed their nominations.
Nationalist Congress party (NCP) Jose Philip D'Souza filed his nomination from Dabolim constituency as against his traditional Vasco seat.
Some of the other prominent candidates who filed their nominations included Jayesh Salgaonkar (BJP -Saligao), Elvis Gomes (Congress - Panjim), Tony Rodrigues (Congress - Taleigao), Deepak Kalangutkar (GFP - Mandrem), Jit Arolkar (MGP - Mandrem), Olencio Simoes (Congress - Cortalim), Santosh Kumar Sawant (GFP - Mayem), Dharmesh Saglani (Congress - Sanquelim), Carlos Almeida (Congress - Vasco), Manoj Parab (RG - Valpoi), Krishna Salkar (Vasco), Milind Naik ( Mormugao), Captain Viriato Fernandes (Congress - Dabolim), Pravin Arlekar (BJP - Pernem), Aleixo Reginald Lourenco (IND - Curtorim), Jenita Madkaikar (BJP - Cumbarjua), Joseph Sequeira (BJP - Calangute).
Hurt by BJP’s denial of tickets, ex-CM Laxmikant Parsekar (Mandrem), ex Minister Deepak Pauskar (Sanvordem), Vijai Pai Khot (Canacona) and Sandip Nigale (Priol) filed their nominations as independent candidates.
The last date for filing nominations in January 28 and scrutiny of applications will take place on January 29. The last date of withdrawal of nominations is January 31.
