Parliamentary elections in Goa
Goans will elect their two representatives for the 14th time, when the state goes to polls on April 12. The total electorate that would exercise their franchise is 5,96,134 in North Goa and 4,63,819 in South Goa. Even though the 2014 general elections are the 16th in the country, Goa which was liberated in 1961 did not participate in the 1952 and 1957 elections, as it was under Portuguese rule. However, Goa was represented in Parliament, soon after Liberation by two nominated parliamentarians --Dr. Pundalik D. Gaitonde for Panaji Parliamentary Constituency and Dr. Antonio Colaco for Mormugao Parliamentary, as Goa’s representatives in Delhi.
The first election in Goa was held in December 1963, when both Lok Sabha seats were won by Maharashtravadi Gomantak party led by then chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar. Peter Alvares, of Praja Socialist Party Worker supported by MGP in Panaji Parliamentary Constituency defeated Surlakar of United Goans Party by securing 67,275 votes against 36,550 votes polled by Surlakar. Alvares garnered 52.80% of the votes.
In Mormugao Constituency, MGP candidate Mukund Shinkre won with 38.62% of the votes. He polled 48,798 votes while Dr Loyola Furtado of United Goans polled 45,947 votes. Percentage of polling in this Constituency was 73.
In 1967 Parliamentary elections independent candidate Janardhan Shinkre, supported by MGP won the Panaji seat by 56,764 votes representing 40.61% of the total valid votes defeating his nearest rival Baburao M Karekar, off UGP by 10,954 votes. Karekar had polled 45,810 votes, and 32.78% of vote share.
Erasmo de Sequeira won the 1967 election on UGP ticket from Mormugao with 54,326 votes (39.36% votes), defeating his nearest rival S S Kavlekar, independent supported by MGP by a margin of 2,552 votes. Kavlekar polled 51,775 votes (37.50% votes).
In March 4, 1971 election Purushottam Kakodkar of Congress led by Jagjivan Ram was elected by securing 57,627 votes from Panani with a margin of 3,030 votes over his nearest rival Madhav U.S. Talaulikar of MGP who polled 54,597 votes. For the first time a national party won Goa’s Parliamentary election. Janardhan Shinkre, who was a member of dissolved Lok Sabha was defeated.
Erasmo de Sequeira of UGP 1was re -elected with 58,401 votes in Mormugao constituency remained with UGP where while Redualdo D`Costa, an independent supported by MGP got 44,156 votes.
The March 16, 1977 Parliamentary elections with fresh delimitation of the constituencies wherein, Daman was added in Mormugao constituency and Diu in Panaji Constituency Amrut Kansar was elected from Panaji defeating Purushottam Kakodkar by securing 66,933 votes. Kakodkar polled 55,867 votes.
Mormugao seat was won by Eduardo Faleiro, who later rose to be a distinguished parliamentarian and was the first Goan MP to be made Minister of State in 1986. Faleiro polled 61,283 votes. Faleiro later did a hat-trick by winning the same seat for next three terms i.e. in 1980, 1984 and 1990 that also securing increased number of votes every time. In 1991, he has contested for the fifth time.
In 1980 mid-term Lok Sabha election, held on January 3,1980, Sanyogita Rane won the seat securing 70,730 votes defeating her nearest rival Kakodkar who polled 43,030 votes . In Mormugao Eduardo Faleiro on INC (U) ticket wrested the seat for the second time securing 97,492 votes.
The 1984 election Congress won both seats -- Eduardo Faleiro won in Mormugao seat for the third time, and Shantaram Naik won the Panaji seat polling 88,326 votes beating his nearest rival Motilal Bandekar of MGP who polled 48,778 votes. In Mormugao, Faleiro won by polling 1,00,453 votes, an all time record. For the first time youth above 18 years were given voting rights; election to Mormugao constituency was countermanded in view of death of an independent candidate and the Congress party lost power at the Centre for the second time. In Panaji, Gopal Mayenkar was elected by securing 1,16,392 votes with a margin of 15,837 votes over his nearest rival Shantaram Naik who polled 1,00,555 votes out of 2,38,908 valid votes polled from a total electorate of 3,33,996. The countermanded elections in Mormugao were held on January 7, 1990 when Eduardo Faleiro won the seat for the fourth time polling 97,545 votes, 22,066 more than his nearest rival Ferdino Rebello of Janata Dal supported by MGP, who obtained 75,479 votes.
In 1991, Harish N.P Zantye from Congress was elected by securing 88,139 votes with a margin of 57,253 over his nearest rival Gopal Mayenkar of MGP. In Mormugao Parliamentary constituency Eduardo Faleiro was elected by securing 89,083 votes with a margin of 55,229 votes over his nearest rival M.S. Prabhu. During 1996 elections R.D. Khalap won North Goa seat with 92,334 votes on MGP ticket while in South Goa Churchill Alemao got elected with 1,09,345 votes on UGDP ticket.
Congress won both seats in the 1998 Parliamentary elections, with Ravi Naik winning with 68,224 votes while Francisco Sardinha won from Mormugao with 100090 votes. In the 1999 election BJP won both seats, where Shripad Yesso Naik of BJP won Panaji with 1,04,958 votes, and Ramamkant Angle won Mormugao with 1,06,024 votes against his rival Joaquim Alemao.
In 2004 election, Shripad Naik won with 14,482 votes while in South Goa Churchill Alemao wrested the Mormugao seat for Congress with 1,64,432 votes.There were bye election in South Goa in 2007, which was one by Francisco Sardinha with 1,18,583 votes.
In the election held in 2009 Shripad Naik got re-elected with 1,37,716 votes from north while Francisco Sardinha won from South with 1,27,494 votes.
Every election is a celebration of democracy. It is a time when every voter feels he is important because he has a choice. It is presumptuous to say it is a spurious choice.
(The writer is former Director of Information and Publicity, Goa)