CANACONA
Six candidates filed their nominations for the Canacona constituency on Thursday, taking the total to eight candidates to have filed their nominations since Monday.
The candidates who filed their nominations before Returning Officer Uday Prabhudessai on Thursday were former minister Ramesh Tawadkar (BJP), rebel BJP candidate Vijay Poi Khot (Independent), Janardhan Bhandari (Congress), Mahadev Dessai (TMC), Anoop Kudtarkar (AAP) and Prashant Pagi (Revolutionary Goans Party).
Poi Khot, who was the first to file his nomination papers on Thursday, said the BJP had failed to recognise dedicated and loyal party workers, forcing him to contest as an Independent.
Congress candidate Janardhan Bhandari entered the Returning Officer’s cabin, only to be sent out for wrongly mentioning his serial numbers and two of his proposers.
The Congress candidate reportedly used an old electoral roll, which the returning officer refused to accept and asked Bhandari to come with a fresh nomination form. Bhandari was seen rushing out to visit his party office and rectify his nomination form.
BJP candidate Ramesh Tawadkar was the next candidate to submit his nomination form, followed by TMC candidate Mahadev Dessai.
Revolutionary Goans Party candidate Prashant Pagi also submitted his nomination papers to the returning officer.
AAP candidate Anoop Kudtarkar, who was scheduled to file his nomination on Friday, however, reached the Returning Office a few minutes before 3 pm and also submitted his nomination papers to Returning Officer Uday Prabhudessai.
Earlier on Monday, former Canacona MLA and BJP rebel Isidore Fernandes had filed his nomination as an Independent candidate, while another Independent candidate, Kanay Anant Pagi of Palolem, filed his nomination on Tuesday.
