Say Cong has sizeable presence; will win with comfortable margin
MARGAO
As the Assembly segments in the hinterland areas of South Goa Lok Sabha constituency put up an impressive polling with all the eight segments registering 70 per cent-plus voting till 5 pm, Congress and INDIA bloc leaders rushed to allay fears of party workers and sympathisers that all’s not over with the impressive polling in the hinterland.
Right from Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao to Aam Aadmi Party Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas to ex-GPCC chief and Congress Working Committee member, Girish Chodankar, they all maintained that polling in Salcete and the hinterland areas of South Goa has clearly gone in favour of Alliance candidate Captain Viriato Fernandes.
Reason: While the INDIA bloc leaders pointed out that the voting in Salcete will predominately go in favour of the Congress candidate, they, however, were quick to point out that the Congress has a sizeable presence in most of the eight Assembly segments of Madkai, Ponda, Shiroda, Sanvordem, Sanguem, Curchorem, Quepem and Canacona in the hinterland.
Opposition leader Yuri Alemao said the Congress will retain the South Goa seat with a comfortable victory margin. “Our voting percentage will go up in the 2024 election compared to the 2019 polls. In the hinterland, the Congress is expected to do much better this time. We have a presence in almost all the eight segments,” he said.
AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas echoed similar sentiments. While saying the INDIA bloc has presence in all the eight Assembly segments in the hinterland, Venzy demanded to know why the people in the hinterland vote for the BJP when there is not a single positive and happiness factor in favour of the ruling dispensation. “Tell me a single factor that has contributed to the happiness of the hinterland people during the BJP regime. Why they will vote for the BJP when they have nothing to cheer about under the BJP rule,” Venzy demanded to know.
Ex-GPCC chief Girish Chodankar pointed out there’s a wrong notion that higher percentage in the hinterland talukas means a vote for the BJP. “The Congress has a huge presence in almost all the eight segments including Quepem, Curchorem, Canacona, Sanguem, Ponda, Shiroda, besides Madkai and Sanvordem. We also have a vote share in these segments,” he said.
Girish further pointed out that the people of the hinterland talukas have been waiting to vote against the BJP for the wrong policies of the Modi government and the Pramod Sawant government and the BJP candidate Pallavi Dempo. “The Congress will retain the South Goa seat with a handsome margin. There should not be any doubt from any quarter,” he added.
