CANACONA
Campaigning in both ZP constituencies of Poinguinim and Khola ended on Thursday morning, with candidates now banking on voters to exercise their franchise on Saturday.
Both BJP candidates, Tejal Pagi (Khola) and Ajay (Ajit) Lolienkar (Poinguinim), are the frontrunners but will face a fight from the Congress-Goa Forward Party alliance candidates, Sumitra Pagi (Khola) and Prashant Naik (Poinguinim).
KHOLA
Former Dy CM and BJP Vice President Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar actively campaigned for Tejal Pagi, while Sports Minister and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar also campaigned for Pagi in the two panchayat of Agonda and Shristhal, which fall in Canacona taluka.
Adding to the support was the presence of BJP State President Damu Naik and other leaders at corner meetings in Agonda, Shristhal, Khola and Betul-Naqueri,
While Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa campaigned for congress candidate Sumitra Pagi in Khola and Betul-Naqueri, which fall in his Quepem constituency, as well as in Shristhal and Agonda, the other two panchayats which form part of Khola ZP constituency. She, however, received limited support from Congress-GFP alliance leaders in Agonda and Shristhal,
Both D’Costa and Kavlekar seized the opportunity to trade barbs at each other during their campaigns.
AAP candidate Adv Samiksha Kholkar also put up a spirited campaign reaching out to voters in the constituency.
POINGUINIM
Poinguinim witnessed intense campaigning by all candidates, particularly the BJP candidate Ajay (Ajit) Lolienkar and Congress-GFP alliance candidate Prashant Naik
Tawadkar held several corner meetings especially in those areas where BJP has limited support, in order to boost Lolienkar’s campaign.
GFP candidate Prashant Naik with the strong backing of former minister Isidore Fernandes also held many corner meetings in the constituency.
The presence of three independent candidates, former Loliem-Polem sarpanch Shailesh Pagui, former Khotigao sarpanch and Congress rebel candidate Daya (Umesh) Gaonkar, and BJP rebel candidate Vipin Prabhugaonkar will also play a role in dividing the votes of the BJP and the Congress-GFP alliance.
AAP candidate and former Khotigao sarpanch Rajesh Gaonkar is unlikely to displace the frontrunners, while the second BJP rebel candidate, Diksha Pagi, former panch of Poinguinim and independent candidate, limited her campaign trail within Poinguinim, and also visited a few other areas to woo voters of her community.
