Congress stalwarts bite the dust in Goa

Many of the Congress stalwarts including four from Churchill Alemao family and state party chief Subhas Shirodkar bit the dust as the BJP-MGP alliance today managed to bag majority of seats in Goa assembly elections.

Congress–NCP ministers including Churchill Alemao, Joaquim Alemao, Manohar Asgaonkar, Filip Nery Rodrigues, Jose Philip Dsouza, Nilkant Halarnkar and others lost the polls to the new faces mostly fielded by BJP-MGP as election results were declared today.

In Salcette, which is a Congress bastion, Congress won two seats out of eight. BJP, which had fielded several Catholic candidates, managed to make a hold in Salcette.

Catholic candidates like Matanhy Saldanha, Michael Lobo, Glen Ticlo, Carlose Almeida defeated stalwarts. NCP, which had won on three seats in 2007 elections, has got a single seat. The party fought the election in alliance with Congress.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Subhas Shirodkar also suffered defeat at the hands of BJP’s Mahadev Naik in Shiroda constituency.

GVP, a regional political outfit, which was rejuvenated by Fransisco Miccky Pacheco, managed to win Nuvem and Benaulim seats.Caetan Silva of the party defeated Congress' Valanka Alemao.

All the four candidates from Alemao family – Valanka (Benaulim), Joaquim (Cuncolim), Churchill (Navelim) and Yuri (Sanguem), lost the election.

'Family raj' was one of the important issue during the polls. Only one of BJP's sitting MLA Damodar Naik was defeated by independent candidate Vijay Sardesai in Fatorda constituency.

Congress candidate from Cuncolim constituency Joaquim Aleamo lost to BJP's candidate Subhash Naik.

In Calangute constituency, BJP's Michael Lobo won against Congress' Agnelo Fernandes.

BJP Goa chief Laxmikant Parsekar said that the party will stake claim to form the next government in alliance with the MGP.