MARGAO
The eight Assembly seats at stake in Salcete taluka will witness multi-cornered contests in the February 4 election as all the eight sitting MLAs, three former Chief Ministers, a host of former Ministers, new entrants are amongst the 53 candidates in the fray.
Prominent politicians in the fray includes political heavyweights, State Congress president Luizinho Faleiro, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, former Ministers, Joaquim Alemao and Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Aam Aadmi Chief Ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes, Goa Su Raj Party leader Mickky Pacheco, Goa Forward party chief Vijay Sardesai and others.
The BJP has fielded candidates in five out of the eight Assembly seats at stake in the minority dominated taluka, while the Congress is contesting in all the eight Assembly constituencies, Goa Forward party two, Goa Vikas Party two, Goa Su Raj Party three, NCP two, MGP four, besides a host of Independents.
Velim constituency has the highest number of candidates, 12 candidates to be precise, followed by seven candidates each in Navelim and Benaulim. Margao constituency will have the least number of candidates, four to be precise.
The list of candidates in the eight Assembly seats is as follows:
Margao: Digambar Kamat (Cong), Sharmad Raiturkar (BJP), Santosh Raiturkar (AAP) and Jayesh Naik (MGP)
Fatorda: Joseph Silva (Cong), Damu Naik (BJP), Vijai Sardesai (GFP), Ranjit Carvalho (AAP), D S Naik (MGP) and Avin V Naik (IND)
Nuvem: Wilfred D’Sa (Cong), Vincent Rodrigues (NCP), Mickky Pacheco (GSRP), Mariano Godinho (AAP) and Dinesh Bandodkar (IND)
Cuncolim: Clafacio Dias (Cong), Rajan Naik (BJP), Devendra Desai (MGP), Elvis Gomes (AAP), John Monteiro (GVP), Derrick Dias (IND) and Joaquim Alemao (IND)
Navelim: Luizinho Faleiro (Cong), Satyavijai Naik (MGP), Jorge Barretto (GVP), Sidharth Karapurkar (AAP), Avertano Furtado (IND), Duarte Pires (IND) and Edwin Cardozo (IND)
Benaulim: Churchill Alemao (NCP), Edwin Barretto (Cong), John Fernandes (GSRP), Maria Rebello (GVP), Royla Fernandes (AAP), Caitu Silva (IND), Judith Almeida (IND)
Curtorim: Reginald Lourenco (Cong), Arthur D’Silva (BJP), Conceicao Dias (MGP), Edwin Vaz (AAP) and Jose Paulo Fernandes (IND).
Velim: Filipe Neri Rodrigues (Cong), Fredrick Borges (NCP), Vinay Tari (BJP), Anthony Rodrigues (GFP), Cliffton D’Souza (Ambedkarite Party), Cruz Silva (AAP), Domnick Norohna (GSRP), Benjamin D’Silva (IND), Edrich Correia (IND), Constancio Fernandes (IND), Jose Fernandes (IND), Wilson Mazarello (IND).
