PANJIM: The Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa, who had witnessed a total wipe-out in the 2017 State Legislative Assembly elections, has fielded candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in North and South, both, who had lost their deposits in the assembly elections.
AAP has fielded its State Convenor Elvis Gomes from the South Goa seat and general secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar from North Goa for the Parliamentary polls to be held on April 23.
In the 2017 State Assembly elections, AAP did not win a single seat in the 40-member State Assembly. More so, of the total 39 candidates who contested the polls, 38, including Gomes and Padgaonkar, had lost their deposits.
It was only in Benaulim assembly constituency, where its candidate polled nearly 4,182 votes.
For the 2017 election, the party managed to gain only 6.3 percent of the total vote share from the total 9.8 lakhs votes that were polled. Gomes, former bureaucrat and AAP’s then chief ministerial candidate, who had contested from Cuncolim, was pushed to fourth position with a total 3,437 votes. Congress’ Clafasio Dias won the seat. The constituency saw 22,485 people casting their votes.
In North, Padgaonkar, had contested from Saligao, which is currently represented by Goa Forward Party (GFP) legislator and Minister Jayesh Salgaonkar. Padgaonkar had managed to get only 1,330 votes of the total 21, 051 votes that were casted.
Kejriwal who had earlier held a poll rally in the 2017 Assembly election, is set to hold a poll rally in South Goa on April 13.
