PANAJI
The win, albeit narrowly of the Monserrate couple from the twin constituencies of Panaji and Taleigao, has literally saved the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party the blushes and a complete washout in the central Tiswadi taluka which accounts for five seats.
Of the five Tiswadi seats, the BJP won only the two held by the Monserrates. The Congress won two others -- St Cruz and Cumbharjua -- and in one of the many surprises of this election, the fifth seat of St Andre was won by debutant Viresh Borkar of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) defeating the sitting BJP MLA Francis Silveira.
In Panaji, Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate managed to retain the seat by a narrow 714 vote margin over Utpal Parrikar while in Taleigao his wife and Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate retained Taleigao by a comfortable 2000-plus vote margin.
Two sitting BJP MLAs -- Francis Silveira and Antonio Fernandes -- from Tiswadi were defeated.
In St Andre, Silveira lost by a narrow 76-vote margin but the winner was a surprise -- Viresh Borkar of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP). In St Cruz, Fernandes lost to the Congress’ Rudolf Fernandes by an over 2000-vote margin.
Cumbharjua, which is the fifth seat of Tiswadi taluka was also bagged by the Congress’ Rajesh Phaldesai who defeated Janita Madkaikar, the wife of the ailing outgoing legislator and former minister Pandurang Madkaikar, fielded by the BJP.
