PANAJI
With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for the Ponda Assembly by-election, political activity has intensified, with both the BJP and the Congress moving swiftly to finalise their candidates for the crucial contest.
The Election Commission on Sunday announced the date for the Ponda Assembly by-election. The by-poll was necessitated following the death of former minister Ravi Naik on October 15, 2025.
The BJP’s central leadership is scheduled to meet in Delhi on Tuesday to finalise the party’s candidate. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and State BJP President Damodar Naik are likely to attend the meeting.
Party sources said the Goa unit has forwarded the names of two probable candidates, Ritesh Naik and Vishwanath Dalvi, to the national leadership, and the Parliamentary Board is expected to take a final call ahead of the nomination deadline on March 23.
Speaking to reporters earlier, the party president said the party had followed its internal consultative process before forwarding the names. The State Election Committee met and shortlisted two candidates pending final decision.
BJP has also begun its campaign activities in the constituency. He said party workers had started groundwork even as the leadership was in the process of selecting the candidate.
Meanwhile, former MGP leader Ketan Bhatikar is likely to emerge as the Congress candidate for the by-election. Bhatikar, who joined the Congress last month ahead of the polls, is the only aspirant to have applied for the party ticket so far.
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Monday recommended Bhatikar’s name to the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) for final approval.
GPCC president Amit Patkar confirmed that the party has received an application from Bhatikar seeking nomination to contest the by-poll and that the same has been forwarded to the party’s CEC for a final decision.
“We had received one application from Ketan Bhatikar to contest the Ponda election. The GPCC has recommended his name to the CEC and it will now take a decision,” Patkar said.
Patkar further stated that there was unanimity within the party regarding the recommendation. “Everyone was of the same opinion. The Congress party will win the Ponda by-polls and it will set the narrative for the 2027 elections,” he said.
Bhatikar, who submitted his letter to the party leadership earlier in the day, expressed confidence that the party would take a positive decision. “I have come to submit my letter to the party president. I am firm that something positive will come out of it. Whatever the party decides, I will abide by it,” he said.
In the 2022 polls, Bhatikar narrowly lost to former minister Ravi Naik by a margin of around 100 votes, making him one of the strongest contenders in the constituency.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rajesh Verenkar, who had contested last polls on INC symbol, said the party workers are united and the focus is on defeating the BJP in the by-poll. “This tenure is only for six months, so there is no point in infighting. If the party decides to give the ticket to Ketan Bhatikar, I will support him,” he said.
The Ponda by-elections are scheduled on April 9. The nomination filing process has commenced and the last day for the same is March 23.
