Goa assembly polls: Congress releases list of candidates for 27 seats

The first list of candidates also includes three women leaders

Congress on Thursday released the list of candidates for 27 seats for the upcoming Goa Assembly polls, retaining its six sitting legislators as nominees.

Besides the sitting MLAs -- Digambar Kamat (Margao), Jeniffer Monserratte (Taleigao), Chandrakant Kavlekar (Quepem), Pratapsinh Rane (Poriem), Vishwajit Rane (Valpoi) and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco (Curtorim) -- the 21 candidates comprises both old and new faces.

Congress General Secretary Madhusudhan Mistry released the list.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Dayanand Sopte, who joined Congress ahead of the polls, would be locking horns with BJP candidate and chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar from Mandrem constituency.

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has already announced that they will field a candidate from the seat.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Luizinho Faleiro has been fielded from Navelim constituency, which is currently represented by BJP-supported Independent legislator and State Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado.

The list also include former state ministers - Subhash Shirodkar (Shiroda), Ravi Naik (Ponda), Nilkant Halarnkar (Thivim) and Filipe Nery Rodrigues (Velim). All of them had lost their seats in the 2012 elections.

The first list of candidates also include three women leaders, including sitting MLA Jeniffer Monserratte.

Urmila Naik will face MGP legislator Sudin Dhavalikar in Marcaim constituency, while Savitri Kavlekar will contest the polls from Sanguem seat.

Savitri, wife of sitting MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar, has been fielded from Quepem constituency.

The old faces who had lost in previous assembly polls include -- Manohar Shirodkar (Bicholim), Fransic Silveira (St Andre), Sankalp Amonkar (Marmugao) and Isidore Fernandes (Canacona).

The new candidates include -- Vikesh Hasotikar (Pernem), Dharmesh Saglani (Sankhalim), Fransisco Jose Nunes (Dabolim), Gilbert Rodrigues (Cortalim), Wilfred D'Sa (Nuvem), Clafasio Dias (Cuncolim), Rosario Fernandes (Curchorem) and Shankar Kirlapalkar (Sanvordem).