TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: It was a reality check for the BJP’s three-and-half years of governance as the saffron party secured only one of the two ZP seats with the opposition-sponsored independent candidate taking the other seat in Canacona taluka.
While independent candidate Shanu Velip won in Khola ZP constituency, BJP candidate Dr Pushpa Aiya took advantage of a split in votes between two independent candidates to secure the Poinguinim ZP seat.
Former ZP member Shanu Velip proved to be a giant killer by wresting the Khola ZP seat, dethroning in style the saffron party’s blue-eyed boy, Krishna Velip.
Krishna Velip, the outgoing ZP member, could poll only 3,708 votes and lost to Shanu Velip (5,119 votes) by a margin of 1,411 votes.
Such was the importance accorded to the Khola ZP seat that the BJP’s top leaders, including India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, South Goa MP Narendra Savoikar, BJP State President Vinay Tendulkar, had addressed a few corner meetings in various parts of Khola ZP constituency.
It was a shock from the blue for the BJP, that it could not gain lead in any of the four village panchayat segments, despite Parrikar’s presence in at least one public/corner meeting in each of the four panchayats of Khola ZP constituency.
The situation was quite different in the south of Canacona taluka, as the BJP made inroads into the Congress vote bank and won the Poinguinim seat, which was always represented by a Congress-backed candidate.
Dr Pushpa Aiya, a first-timer in politics, derailed the Congress party’s hopes to take control of the Poinguinim ZP constituency, by defeating two other independent candidates, which included a joint opposition candidate and former ZP member Pranali Prabhugaonkar.
A contest by two independent candidates benefited the BJP, as the opposition votes were split in the process.
Dr Aiya polled 4,420 votes, followed by Pranali Prabhugaonkar (3,341 votes) and Adv Anousha Vasu Paiek Gaonkar (3,173), enabling Dr Aiya to win by a margin of 1079 votes.
