MARGAO
Marketplaces in the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency, the bustling New market/Gandhi market in the commercial capital and the market in Quepem town saw an unusual movement on Monday.
Ahead of the battle for the May 7 Lok sabha polls, candidates of the Congress and the BJP, with party leaders and workers in tow, descended in the markets to drum up support for their candidates for the South Goa seat.
If BJP candidate Pallavi Dempo along with party leaders, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and former Fatorda MLA Damu Naik, descended in the New market to seek support from the traders and customers alike, Quepem Congress MLA Altone D’Costa descended on the battlefield in his home constituency Quepem with party candidate Viriato Fernandes.
The two sides left no stone unturned to convey a message to the people to support their respective candidates.
At the New market, Pallavi was accompanied by Kamat, while BJP leader and ex-deputy chief minister Manohar Ajgaonkar joined the party campaign in the adjoining Gandhi market along with the vendors there.
After taking a round of the lanes and bylanes of the New market, Pallavi said she is touched by the love and affection showered on her by the vendors and customers. Kamat said Pallavi has been receiving tremendous support for her candidature in the commercial capital, exuding confidence in her victory. The Margao MLA informed that the BJP candidate will hold corner meetings across Margao, besides interactions with different stakeholders, including taxi and motorcycle pilots.
When Pallavi visited the adjoining Gandhi market, the fiefdom of the Ajgaonkar brothers, she was welcomed by Manohar Ajgaonkar and the vendors, extending their support for her success.
In Quepem town, which forms part of the Quepem Assembly segment represented by Congress MLA Altone D’Costa, Congress candidate Captain Viriato Fernandes with the local MLA, accompanied by District Congress chief Savio D’Silva and local party leaders, visited the market area on Monday.
After interacting with the traders and vendors, Captain Viriato thanked the people of Quepem for giving him a warm welcome. “I am really touched by the love showered on me by the people of Quepem. In a democracy, people’s power always wins over money power. In South Goa, the Congress and Alliance candidate will win the seat," Viriato said.
Quepem MLA Altone exuded confidence that the people of Quepem will stand by Viriato in the same way they had supported him in the 2022 Assembly polls. “In 2022, the people of Quepem did not succumb to money and muscle power and voted for the Congress. This time too, people will stand by Viriato. The Congress will retain the seat by a huge margin,” Altone said.
