the goan I network
PANAJI
Veteran politician Francisco Sardinha formally staked claim to the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, filing his nomination at the Congress headquarters with State chief Girish Chodankar on Monday.
Addressing mediapersons after handing over his nomination, Sardinha expressed confidence that he would win back the South Goa seat from the BJP, if he was made the Congress candidate.
“If I’m given the ticket, I’m sure the South Goa electorate will ensure my victory. We’ll try to bring the Congress back to power in the South,” said Sardinha, adding that this would be the fourth time he would be contesting the Lok Sabha polls.
Sardinha was not the only candidate to stake claim to the South ticket however, with Mahila Congress chief, Adv Pratima Coutinho also filing her nomination earlier in the day. Coutinho told media that she was confident about being made the candidate after the Mahila Congress had taken up 87 causes for the people under her leadership. She said the women’s wing of the party was fighting for 33% reservation for women within the party all over India, and with Goa having just two seats, this meant that the party should give one candidature to a woman. Meanwhile, vice-president Bina Naik expressed that since the population of the state was 49%
female, it was natural that a woman be given the party ticket.
Chodankar said that the party would decide the candidate through a screening committee. Each district committee would give their recommendations, and later the committee in Delhi would select the candidates. So far, no one has staked formal claim to the North Goa seat, Chodankar said.
