MARGAO
Independent candidate Domnic Gaonkar retained his stranglehold over the Raia Zilla Panchayat seat for the third time in the last decade and a half, defeating the Congress candidate Joseph Vaz by a margin of 653 votes.
This is the fourth successive time that the members of the Gaonkar family have won the Raia Zilla Panchayat seat since 2005.
While Gaonkar had twice represented the seat, his wife had won the seat once in the last decade and a half.
After the election, Gaonkar thanked the people of Raia, Rachol, Camurlim and Loutolim for supporting his candidature.
The Congress had approached Gaonkar to contest the election on the party banner, but he did a re-think at the last moment and preferred to seek reelection as an Independent.
“The Congress had offered me the party ticket, but I did not accept it since I had the trust and confidence of my supporters, who have been repeatedly electing me to the ZP seat,” he said.
When asked to comment on reports that Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco had supported him in the election, Gaonkar said, “I do not know the Congress MLA had supported him, but I know that the MLA may have not opposed me”.
