PANAJI
The Goa State Assembly election fought across 40 constituencies showed people’s mandate that allowed little less than 50% new faces to enter the State Assembly for the first time. These new winners, 19 in total, are from Mandrem, Pernem, Bicholim, Siolim, Saligao, Aldona, St Cruz, St Andre, Cumbharja, Mayem, Poriem, Mormugao, Vasco, Cortalim, Benaulim, Cuncolim, Velim, Navelim and Quepem. Out of these 19, 11 are from North Goa while eight come from the South Goa constituencies.
Jit Arolkar from MGP won with 10243 votes, defeating his nearest rival Dayanand Sopte of BJP who got 9475 votes and the former chief minister of Goa Laxmikant Parsekar who could earn 5623 votes. The others opposite Jit were Deepak Kalangutkar, Sunayana Gaude, Prasad Shahapurkar, Satish Shetye, Babli Naik and Maria D’Costa and 259 NOTA votes were cast.
In Pernem, Pravin Arlekar of BJP opened his account with 13063 votes defeating MGP’s Rajan Korgaonkar who got 9645 votes. With 263 NOTA votes, the others who were in the field were Sujay Mhapsekar, Jitendra Gaonkar, Vishnudas Korgaonkar, Pundalik Dhargalkar, Subhash Kerkar, Kamlakar Gadkar and Gurudas Virnodkar.
Dr Chandrakant Shetye, who contested as Independent candidate from Bicholim defeated Naresh Sawal of MGP and Rajesh Patnekar of BJP, Anish Naik of RGP and Meghashyam Raut of Congress. Dr Shetye got 9608 votes as against Sawal’s 9290. BJP’s Patnekar got 5141 votes. Dr Shetye is all set to join hands with the BJP who has the majority of 20 seats.
Delilah Lobo, a first timer who contested from Siolim on Congress seat won defeating BJP’s Dayanand Mandrekar. Lobo, wife of Michael Lobo who contested from Calangute and won, also on Congress seat are among the three couples who fought and won this election.
Kedar Naik of Congress bagged 9798 votes from Saligao and defeated Jayesh Salgaonkar of BJP who got 7942 votes. Aldona's Carlos Ferreira of Congress won the seat with 9074 votes defeating BJP’s Glenn Ticlo who got 7286 votes.
St Cruz seat was won by Rudolfo Fernandes who contested on Congress seat and got 8841 votes as against Antonio Fernandes of BJP who pocketed 6377 votes. St Andre seat went to Viresh Borkar who won with a very little margin against BJP’s Francis Silveira. Borkar got 4894 votes and Silveira got 4760.
Rajesh Faldessai won the Congress seat from Cumbarjua defeating Rohan Harmalkar, an independent candidate as well as Janita Madkaikar of BJP. Faldessai is related to Subhash Phaldesai of BJP who won against Savitri Kavlekar from Sanguem. Faldessai also will join hands with BJP to form the government.
Mayem Premendra Shet of BJP secured the seat with 7636 votes. Deviya Rane, wife of health minister Vishwajit Rane won with a large number of votes, 17816 defeating another candidate, also Vishwajit K Rane who fought on AAP seat to get 3873 votes. She had to fight AAP, RGP, TMC, Congress, Shivsena and JM candidates.
Sankalp Amonkar won this time with 5474 votes contesting on Congress seat from Mormugao constituency. He defeated BJP’s Milind Naik who got 7126 votes. Vasco’s BJP candidate Krishna aka Daji Salkar won with 12697 votes defeating congress’s Jose Luis Carlos Almeida who got 9159 votes.
The Cortalim seat went to Antonio Vaz, an independent who bagged 5522 seats defeating Congress’ Olencio Simoes who got 4344 votes. He too would be joining hands with the BJP in forming the government.
The Benaulim saw a tough fight between Venzy Viegas, a first-time contestant and the seasoned politician Churchill Alemao who along with daughter Valanka had joined TMC recently but was defeated. The AAP candidate Viegas could win 6411 votes as against Churchill’s 5140. Cuncoliem went to Yuri Alemao who fought on Congress seat bagging 8521 votes defeating Clafacio Dias of BJP who got 5547 votes.
The Velim constituency saw Cruz Silva winning on the AAP seat bagging 5390 votes defeating Savio DSilva of Congress who got 5067 votes. The margin between the two was very little. Cruz also defeated Benjamin Silva of TMC and Dagley Fernandes of RGP and Filip Neri Rodrigues of NCP along with Savio Rodrigues of BJP. Cruz is one of the two candidates that won on the AAP ticket. The other who won on the AAP ticket is Venzy Viegas from Benaulim.
The Navelim seat was captured by Ulhas Yeshwant Tuenkar who fought on BJP ticket and got 5168 votes against TMC’s Valanka Alemao who got 4738 votes. Tuenkar defeated Avertano Furtado, Pratima Coutinho, Francisco Andre Colaco, Bento Da Silva Mohammad Mujawar, Digvijit Chavan and Antonio Alvares.
The nineteenth candidate who fought and won for the first time is Ganesh Gaonkar of BJP who defeated Deepak Prabhu Pauskar, an independent and others. Gaonkar had to fight against MGP, RGP, AAP, Congress and one more independent candidate to win the seat.
