Team Herald
PANJIM: While all eyes are set on the electoral fate of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar — the BJP candidate who contested the assembly by election from his bastion — was busy clearing files at his official residence, Altinho on the eve of the counting day on Sunday. Later in the evening, the chief minister visited some houses around the city for Ganesh Darshan.
“He was at work at his official residence till around 6.30 pm and then visited some families in the nearby areas for Ganesh Darshan,” Parrikar’s election agent Pundalik Raut Desai told Herald.
The chief minister also celebrated the festival at his ancestral home in Parra and was back to work after immersing the Ganesha idol on Saturday night.
As counting is scheduled to begin sharp at 8 am on Monday, Parrikar is expected to be at the venue by 7.30 am. Contesting for the sixth time from Panjim constituency, he is confident of winning the election yet again by a huge margin.
Congress’ Girish Chodankar, who was pitted against Parrikar and Goa Suraksha Manch’s Anand Shirodkar, were too busy on Sunday holding a marathon meeting with their counting agents. “I am holding meeting with counting agents… I will reach the counting centre by 7.15 am tomorrow (Monday),” Chodankar told Herald in the midst of discussion.
He too celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi for one and half day. Asked if he was certain to defeat Parrikar, Chodankar replied, “I have never said I am sure to win but people of Panjim will win.”
Besides Panjim, the by-election was also held in Valpoi constituency on August 23 wherein Health Minister Vishwajit Rane of the BJP contested against Congress’ Roy Naik.
The BJP workers already claim victory in both the seats for which preparations were in full swing.
“We have already ordered sweets of various types in bulk quantity. BJP will clinch both the seats by a remarkable margin. A victory rally will too be held. Our karyakartas will reach the counting centre more than an hour before the counting begins,” one of the BJP office-bearer said.
