Churchill says results would prove wrong all those who have predicted he would poll only 15,000 votes
Reginaldo expects win by a margin of 10,000 votes lSawaikar says this time the win is his
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: On the eve of counting of votes scheduled on Friday, both the Congress and BJP candidates exuded confidence of wining the South Goa seat, even as Trinamool Congress candidate Churchill Alemao said the results would prove wrong all those who have predicted that he would poll only 15,000 votes.
Congress candidate Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who returned home last night after a short stay in Benaulim with family, said he would win the seat by a margin of 10,000 votes. “I am quite confident of my victory. You can feel the pulse of the people. The administrative machinery has totally collapsed. This is the situation prevailing everywhere”, he told the media at Camurlim.
On the other hand, his BJP rival Narendra Sawaikar said that the BJP would win the seat this time, but declined to predict the margin. “All I can say with confidence is that I will win the South Goa seat this time”, Sawaikar said.
Incidentally, both Regianldo and Sawaikar were preoccupied with the task of putting in place mechanism for the counting agents. They were closeted with the counting agents since morning, guiding them about Friday’s counting.
While both Sawaikar and Reginaldo said their hectic activity on Thursday did not allow them to visit any temple or church, sources said that the TMC candidate headed to Old Goa to attend church service and seek blessings of St Francis Xavier.
When asked about his chances, Churchill said that the election result would prove wrong all those who had predicted that he would poll only 15,000 votes. “I have trust in my people and you will come to know about my votes on Friday”, remarked Churchill, who is celebrating his birthday on Friday.
The election authorities have arranged 10 counting halls, six in Kare Law College and four in the adjoining Damodar College of Economics located in Vidya Vikas Mandal’s educational campus at Comba-Margao.
