The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has finally declared its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Goa, ending the prolonged suspense within the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. The announcement was made by AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, who revealed that the alliance, comprising more than two dozen opposition parties, has reached a consensus to field candidates in both the North and South Goa constituencies.
Leading the charge in North Goa is veteran politician Ramakant Khalap. Khalap (76) previously served as a Member of Parliament on the MGP ticket from 1996 to 1998. Khalap's tenure as Union Minister of State for Law under the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi saw notable legislative contributions, including enacting the Arbitration Act of India and amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure of India and the Code of Criminal Procedures of India. Additionally, he introduced the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Congress's candidate for the South Goa constituency is Captain Viriato Fernandes, a former officer of the Indian Navy. Fernandes served as a Kargil War soldier and holds qualifications in mechanical engineering, aeronautics engineering, and a double MBA. Fernandes ventured into politics and unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Goa legislative assembly elections from the Dabolim constituency.
The Lok Sabha elections in Goa are scheduled to take place in a single phase on May 7, with vote counting set for June 4. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had previously disclosed its candidates for both the North and South Goa seats, with Shripad Naik contesting from the North and Pallavi Dempo from the South
