the goan I network
PONDA
Shiroda Congress candidate Mahadev Naik’s dismal performance in the Shiroda bypoll has led many to believe that voters loyal to the Congress had switched over to the MGP candidate, Deepak Dhavalikar, at the last moment.
This seems to be situation as Naik, who had claimed that even BJP supporters would support him, could only secure 2,402 votes in this bypoll, a distant third from the BJP’s winning candidate Subhash Shirodkar (10,661 votes) and a closely second placed MGP candidate Deepak Dhavalikar (10,585 votes).
Moreover, Mahadev Naik, who had won his previous two elections by over 9,000 votes in 2007 and 2012, saw his votes sharply drop to 6,286 in 2017 and 2,402 in the Shiroda bypoll.
Mahadev Naik was forced to join the Congress after Subhash Shirodkar resigned as Congress MLA and joined the BJP. The MGP had lent its support to the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections and also in other bypolls, but the Congress candidate was pitted against them in Shiroda.
According to some poll analysts, Naik either seems to have lost his individual votes or he had told them to vote for MGP candidate Deepak Dhavalikar, after sensing his weakness in the bypoll
and his determined bid to ensure the ouster of Shirodkar.
“The Congress had internally supported MGP candidate Deepak Dhavalikar. Mahadev Naik had appealed to his supporters to cast their vote for Dhavalikar and this is why the MGP candidate could give such a close fight to the BJP candidate,” said one analyst.
“This also explains the sudden decline in Congress votes at the Shiroda bypoll,” the analyst added.
Mahadev Naik had initially denied rumours of supporting Dhavalikar, but he was not contactable to
comment on this possibility after his defeat on Thursday as his phone was switched off.
