#Three women candidates, 6 sitting MLAs make it to the Congress list of 27
the goan I network
PANAJI
Sitting MLAs are arming themselves for an electoral battle yet again with Jennifer Monserrate set to recontest from Taleigao, Digambar Kamat from Margao, Pratapsing Rane from Poriem, Vishwajit Rane from Valpoi, Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavalekar from Quepem and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco from Curtorim.
The old guard which has secured tickets include former CM Ravi Naik from Ponda, former GPCC president Subhash Shirodkar from Shiroda, former minister Filipe Nery Rodrigues from Velim and GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro from Navelim.
Nilkanth Halarnkar will contest from Tivim yet again, this time on Congress ticket after hopping from Nationalist Congress Party.
Francis Silveira in St Andre, Sankalp Amonkar in Mormugao and Isidore Fernandes inCanacona will flex their muscles yet again in these constituencies presently represented by BJP.
New candidate Vikesh Hasotikar has been pitted by Congress against sitting MLA Rajendra Arlekar in his home turf of Pernem. Hasotikar will have an uphill task with former Congressman Manohar ‘Babu’ Ajgaonkar likely to contest in the constituency on Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.
The other new faces include Dharmesh Saglani from Sankhali, Urmila Naik from Marcaim, Francisco Nunes for Dabolim, Sancoale Zilla Parishad member Gilbert Mariano Rodrigues from Cortalim, former aide of Fracisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco and Nuvem ZP member Wilfred ‘Babashan’ D’Sa from Nuvem, GPCC secretary Clafacio Dias from Cuncolim, former ZP member Rosario Fernandes from Curchorem, Congress Seva Dal chief Shankar Kirlapalkar from Sanvordem, Amarnath Panjikar from Aldona, and Savitri Kavalekar from Sanguem.
These comprise around 34 per cent of the declared Congress candidates. In addition to this, Congress has so far announced three women in a list of 27 candidates as against the lone woman candidate in BJP’s list of 29, Alina Saldanha in Cortalim.
Congress has fielded Dyanand Sopte from Mandrem to counter sitting MLA and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar. Parsekar had defeated Sopte in 2012 polls by a margin of 3,400 votes.
Former BJP candidate in Bicholim, Manohar Shirodkar is all set to contest on Congress ticket against MGP’s Naresh Sawal and BJP’s Rajesh Patnekar.
