Cong stalwarts bite the dust in Goa

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.