MARGAO
The Aam Aadmi Party retained the Benaulim zilla panchayat seat on Monday with INDI Alliance block-backed party candidate Joseph Pimenta winning the by-poll with a comfortable 3049 vote margin.
Pimenta polled 54.06 per cent of the total votes polled in Sunday’s election, around 5672 votes to be precise. His two Independent rivals, Grrafyans Fernandes and Congress-turned-Independent Royla Fernandes, besides Frank Fernandes were never close to the AAP candidate.
While Grrayfans polled 2623 votes, Royla ended her campaign with 1840 votes. Frank polled 276 votes.
So pronounced was Pimenta’s victory that he is believed to have led in almost all the polling booths, barring two, indicating Aam Aadmi Party’s presence in the villages of Benaulim, Varca, Orlim, Carmona and Cavelossim that make up the Benaulim ZP constituency.
AAP’s victory in the by-poll is politically significant in more ways than one. For, AAP had opened its account in an election in Goa from Benaulim in the 2020 zilla panchayat poll before the party went on to make its presence felt in the Goa Legislative Assembly in the 2022 election. It’s another matter that the election of AAP ZP member Hanzel Fernandes was declared as null and void by the Administrative Tribunal after the High Court set aside the OBC caste certificate issued by the deputy Collector, Margao.
Pimenta’s election in the by-election has only sent a message that AAP not only enjoys a following in Benaulim, but has managed to retain and further strengthened the base with the support of the INDI Alliance block.
Pimenta led over the Independents right from round one and his lead only swelled in each of the rounds before he romped home to victory with a huge margin of 3049 votes.
As AAP’s stunning victory triggered jubilations outside the counting centre, Pimenta attributed his victory to the hard work put in by the MLA Venzy Viegas, volunteers, party leaders, INDI Alliance leaders and the voters.
Meanwhile, AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said the by-poll should send a message to the 39 remaining constituencies that people have accepted the INDI Alliance at the grass root level, exuding confidence that people will now vote for the Alliance candidates in the 2025 ZP polls and the 2027 Assembly election.
“After the Lok Sabha victory, this is the first election fought under the INDI Alliance banner in the entire country with unity and the experiment has been accepted at the grass root level”, Venzy added.
