Team Herald
PANJIM: The battle for Goa has intensified with close to hundred star campaigners being lined up for public meetings, stakeholders’ interactions and door-to-door campaigns, with hardly a week left for the February 14 poll campaign to end.
The elections in Goa are scheduled on February 14 and such the campaigning will end 48-hour prior to State goes for polls. In view of COVID-19 scare, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has banned Pad-yatra, cycle/bike/vehicle rallies and procession till February 11.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda. For the very first time, BJP is contesting on all 40 Assembly seats.
Shah, who had visited the State on January 30 is slated to visit again on February 7. He will hold a public meeting at Snaquelim, the assembly seat of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.
Shah will also address two more public meetings each at Bicholim and Mapusa. Nadda will camp in Goa on February 8 and 11. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too will be on two-day visit on February 10.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari (Feb 6-8) and Union Minister Smriti Irani (Feb 5) will be also campaigning in Goa.
The prime opposition Congress is set to bring party president Sonia Gandhi, senior leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to woo the voters.
Congress has released list of 30 star campaigners. Rahul Gandhi will visit poll-bound State on Friday, February 4, during which he will hold a public meeting in Sanquelim and it will be telecasted live on big screens across all other 39 constituencies.
The other national campaigners include Ashok Chavan, Sachin Pilot, Mallikarjun Kharge, Shashi Tharoor, Amit Deshmukh, among others.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, national general secretaries Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, MP Supriya Sule, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and 20 others will campaign for party, which is contesting on 12 seats. Their ally, Shiv Sena, will also see Maharashtra Minister Aditya Thackeray leading the campaign.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will lead their campaigns.
