PANAJI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has retained the three seats of the Zilla Panchayat constituencies as the result of by-elections to Davorlim, Reis Magos, and Cortalim was declared on Tuesday.
While in two constituencies, BJP fielded its candidates, Cortalim ZP had Merciana Vas “ wife of sitting MLA Antonio Vas - an Independent candidate, backed by the ruling party.
BJP’s Sandeep Bandodkar polled the highest 65.87 voting percentage compared to other winning candidates. He emerged victorious from Reis Magos seat with 5345 votes in his favour.
The ruling party kept its rhythm going in Davorlim where Paresh Naik secured 4080 votes and BJP-backed Independent candidate Merciana Mendes Vas polled 4453 votes from the Cortalim ZP seat.
The three other candidates pitted against Bandodkar in Reis Magos “ Rajesh Dabholkar (Ind), Sainath Korgaonkar (Ind) and Pragati Pednekar (Congress) managed to get 1091 votes, 1101 votes and 509 votes respectively.
In Davorlim, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) grabbed the second place with its candidate Siddesh Bhagat polling 3374 votes while Congress’ Leoncio Jervasio Fernandes Raikar secured 1089 votes and Independents Andrew Rebello, Jose Dias and Bhagwan Redkar secured 784, 78 and 66 votes respectively.
Cortalim ZP seat further saw Independent candidate Lesley Gama polling 1511 votes (19.68 percent), Valent Barbosa (Congress) 1360 votes whereas John D’Sa from AAP polling 293 votes.
The seats had fallen vacant after the then ZP members quit to contest the February 2022 polls, of whom two won to be elected as MLAs.
BJP’s Paresh Naik is a successful replacement for Ulhas Tuenkar “ currently Navelim MLA in Davorlim. Winning BJP candidate Sandeep Bandodkar was fielded by his party in Reis Magos as his predecessor Rupesh Naik contested the assembly polls but lost to MLA Kedar Naik. Merciana Vas contested the ZP polls after her husband Antonio quit to contest the assembly polls as an Independent and also won from the constituency. He was among three other Independent MLAs who supported the BJP to form the government.
The party leaders led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met the winning candidates at his official residence later in the day.
Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has lifted the code of conduct that was imposed on September 21 owing to the ZP polls.
