PANJIM: A month long hectic official campaigning by the political
parties and independent candidates for the upcoming Goa Legislative Assembly
election will culminate on Thursday evening- 48 hours before State go for polls
on February 4. Unofficially, the campaign of major political parties including
BJP and Congress had started in the month of November, last year.
Total 251 candidates are in fray from 40 assembly
constituencies. The state is witnessing four corner political fights with BJP,
Congress, AAP and MGP and its allies contesting on majority of the Seats. There
are 58 independent candidates also in fray.
Total 11.08 lakh of voters would have right to cast their
vote at 1642 polling booths.
The BJP’s high end election campaign saw Prime Minister
Narendra Modi addressing a crowd of over 40,000 in Panjim last week. BJP has
been on the forefront in the campaign which began with their Vijai Sankalp
rallies-last year. The party also had its star campaigners including their
president Amit Shah, union ministers – Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti
Irani, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Manohar Parrikar addressing various
meetings across the State.
During the campaign, the BJP high command hinted at possible
‘home coming’ of Parrikar to rule the State- giving clear indications that
current Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar- should not dream of second term as
CM.
While on one side Congress preferred not to name their Chief
Ministerial candidate, MGP led alliance and AAP have projected their leader
during the campaign. While MGP has declared that if voted to power Sudin
Dhavalikar would be the chief minister, AAP has projected former bureaucrat
Elvis Gomes as their CM.
Congress party which has based its campaign on the U turns
of BJP led government in the State had two public meetings of its vice
president Rahul Gandhi, and one by Jyotiraditya
Scindia while Sachin Pilot, Randeep Surjewala and others addressed scores of
corner meetings.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal accompanied by his
colleagues from Delhi cabinet had been addressing the meetings in the State.
This is for the second time, that AAP has been contesting in the coastal state
after their unsuccessful attempt in both the Lok Sabha constituencies of Goa
during 2014 polls.
MGP-led alliance had Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackarey
pumping up their campaign through public meetings. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar too
addressed two rallies in Goa.
The district administration both North and
South Go has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 from 5.00 a.m. of
February 2, 2017 to 9.00 p.m. of February 4, 2017 in
all Assembly Constituencies. “Any
Assembly of five or more persons (including contesting candidates and workers)
will be deemed as Unauthorized Assembly u/s. 141 of the Indian Penal Code and
will be prohibited to avoid any procession or rally under the garb of House to
House visits or Corner meetings and to prevent any guidance and law and order
problems,” the order stated.
The candidates are asked not to ply their campaigning
vehicles during the period. It has also order ban on sale of liquor during this
time.
