Team Herald
PANJIM: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced six more candidates for the 2017 Assembly polls. With this list, the party has revealed the names of 30 candidates, becoming the only political party to have announced 75 percent of its candidates this early.
Godwin Fernandes (34), a multi-skilled diploma engineer with an excellent connect in the constituency will contest from Calangute possibly against BJP MLA Michael Lobo. He has been fighting with the ‘Save Calangute’ campaign to make the village drug and prostitution free.
In Mapusa, AAP has declared Shraddha Khalap (33) as their candidate. She will possibly have Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza as her opponent. She is the daughter-in-law of Congressman Ramakant Khalap, a former Union Minister for Law. London-educated Shraddha, is a post-graduate diploma holder in culinary arts and manages a hotel and distribution firm belonging to the family.
In Nuvem, Dr Mariano Godinho will contest on the AAP ticket. The constituency is currently represented by GVP’s Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco. Dr Godinho is a retired government doctor, with decades of dedicated service in the medical field.
In Vasco, AAP has named 62-year-old Lorreta D’Souza e Sreedharan, a former India hockey player. She has represented India thrice at the international level and has vast administrative experience having served the Central government as an IRS officer. The constituency is held by BJP’s Carlos Almeida.
In St Cruz, AAP has opted for 47-year-old Joe Gomes over former MLA Victor Gonsalves who recently joined the party and was willing to contest the elections. Gomes is an AAP volunteer and member of the State Campaign Committee. The current St Cruz MLA is Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate.
In St Andre, which is represented by BJP’s Vishnu Wagh, AAP has announced Rama Kankonkar as their candidate. The 31-year-old is AAP coordinator of St Andre and quit his job as branding manager of a telecom service operator to join AAP.
