MARGAO
Salcete’s political bigwigs, new faces and their supporters got back to the drawing room on Saturday evening after polling ended at 5 pm, with no candidate willing to concede defeat in the hustings as their fate was sealed in the EVMs in Saturday’s polling.
Be it State Congress president Luizinho Faleiro, former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, brother Joaquim Alemao, sitting MLAs Digambar Kamat, Avertano Furtado and Reginaldo Lourenco, Goa Su Raj Party leader Mickky Pacheco have all exuded confidence in winning the election. The new faces, including Clafacio Dias and Wilfred D’Sa and Edwin Barretto have said the polling have gone in their favour.
The Aam Aadmi Party have exuded confidence in winning the election, with party Chief Ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes saying the silent votes will keep the party candidates in good stead.
In high profile Benaulim, former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao said that the polling will give up a minimum lead of 3,000 votes. His rival and Independent MLA Caitu Silva, however, begged to differ. He claimed that he would retain the seat by a minimum of 1,800 votes. Goa Vikas Party nominee Maria Rebello pointed out that she has now realized that people have not voted for good candidates and were lured by money power, while Congress nominee Edwin Barretto said his victory would depend if all the Congress voters have voted in his favour.
Even as reports did the rounds in Nuvem constituency that Congress nominee Wilfred D’Sa has gained ground in Saturday’s polling, sitting MLA Mickky Pacheco said that the polling will give him a victory with a minimum margin of 3,500 vote. Wilfred, however, said that the Congress wave in Nuvem will give him a victory margin of 6,000 votes, even though reports suggest that the NCP candidate Vincent Rodrigues also put up a good show in the election. In fact, Vincent said his campaign has paid off, while exuding confidence of winning the seat by a comfortable margin.
In Cuncolim, where former two-time MLA Joaquim Alemao is trying to make a comeback, Congress candidate Clafacio Dias said he should win by a minimum of 2,500 votes. Joaquim, however, said that the high polling in Cuncolim town has gone in his favour, while predicting a victory margin of 4,000 vote.
AAP Chief Ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes pointed out that the vast majority of silent votes has gone in his favour.
In neighbouring Velim constituency, former Congress minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues seemed to have made huge presence in the constituency. His camp said the polling has gone in Filipe’s favour, exuding confidence that his return is a foregone conclusion.
While State Congress president Luizinho Faleiro pointed out that he is positive about his victory with people coming out in large numbers for polling, his challenger Avertano Furtado said the polling has gone in his favour.
Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said the polling trend has gone in his favour, while exuding confidence of playing yet another innings with a huge margin. Congress Curtorim sitting MLA Reginaldo Lourenco told the media that the polling trend will ensure that he will win the election with a comfortable margin.
