MARGAO
Three-time MLA Reginaldo Lourenco created a record of sorts as he retained the Curtorim seat by defeating his nearest Congress rival Moreno Rebello by a huge margin of 5055 votes.
The former Curtorim MLA will play his fourth successive innings, this time as an Independent. Reginaldo had thrown his hat in the election ring as an Independent after the Congress had shut the doors on him in the run up to the polls.
While Reginaldo polled 8986 votes, his Congress rival finished second with 3905. What’s interesting to note is that the RGP candidate Rupert Pereira put up an impressive performance in Curtorim by polling 3479 votes, pushing seasoned campaigner and AAP candidate, Dominick Gaonkar, to the fourth place.
Interestingly, BJP candidate Anthony Barbosa put up a good show as he ended his campaign with 2385 votes despite the fact that party leaders and workers, including councillors, had openly backed Independent candidate Reginaldo at the hustings. The Trinamool Congress candidate Anthony Piexoto polled 353 votes.
After coming out of the counting hall, accompanied by BJP workers, a beaming Reginaldo said all sections of the people have contributed to his victory despite a strident campaign launched by the Congress. “I do not want to say anything about the Congress, but I would like to thank all the people of Curtorim for rallying behind me,” he said.
