PANAJI: Congress on Tuesday released its third and fourth list picking candidates for 11 constituencies for the February 14 assembly polls.
The surprise came in St Andre. Among the candidates declared on Tuesday were also those for St Andre constituency where its alliance partner, Goa Forward Party (GFP) had campaigned aggressively declaring the candidacy of Jagadish Bhobe.
A few hours later, Bhobe quit GFP and joined TMC.
Congress has named Anthony (Tony) Fernandes for St Andre constituency even as it nearly ran out of choice with the vacuum created after sitting MLA Francis Silveira joined BJP along with nine others in 2019.
While Congress hardly did anything to cut its losses in St Andre since Silveira’s departure, GFP staked its claim on St Andre even before alliance talks were finalised.
On expected lines, the name of former minister Michael Lobo, who joined Congress last week, is on the list.
Congress is, however, yet to announce a candidate for Siolim where Lobo’s wife, Delilah has been actively canvassing for the last many months. Delilah had joined Congress along with her husband.
Late night the party declared its fourth list in which its working president and former minister Aleixo Sequeira was nominated from Nuvem and Savio D’Silva from Velim.
Councillor Dharmesh Sanglani has been picked to contest against chief minister Pramod Sawant in Sakhali, while, in Canacona, which GFP was eyeing, Congress asserted itself by nominating its long-time youth functionary Janardan Bhandari. This is the second time Sanglani has been nominated by Congress.
Other constituencies for which candidates declared were, Porvorim Vikash Prabhudesai, Tivim Aman Lotlikar, and Bicholim Meghashyam Raut. In Porvorim, Prabhudesai will take on Rohan Khaunte who is now with BJP. Lotlikar, who joined Congress in recent times, has already started the campaign by sponsoring various events in the constituency, a source said.
For Madkai, Congress has named MGP’s former Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar who joined it about a week ago after parting ways with Trinamool Congress (TMC). Former independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar was named the Sanguem candidate. Goankar, too, joined Congress a few days ago.
Congress lost much of its support in Tivim after MLA Nilkant Halarnkar joined BJP though the former hasn’t done anything significant in the last year to mop up support.
To date, Congress has declared candidates for 30 constituencies, including two of its pre-poll alliance partner, GFP. It may have to make a fresh announcement for Poriem and Curtorim. Senior legislator Pratapsingh Rane who was declared Poriem candidate last month hinted at his disinterest in continuing in politics after being there for about 50 years.
It had named Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco as its Curtorim candidate a week before he left Congress and joined TMC. Two days ago, Lourenco quit TMC, but has yet to reveal his plan, though Lobo has invited him to rejoin Congress. It remains to be seen if Congress will take him back and also give him a ticket after he left it red-faced last month.
A source said that Congress does not want to cede much space to GPF in seat-sharing and would want the latter to be content with just Fatorda and Mayem, well aware that GFP does not have many chips to bargain. Meanwhile, GFP has also not hidden its plan for Mandrem.
The surprise came in St Andre. Among the candidates declared on Tuesday were also those for St Andre constituency where its alliance partner, Goa Forward Party (GFP) had campaigned aggressively declaring the candidacy of Jagadish Bhobe.
A few hours later, Bhobe quit GFP and joined TMC.
Congress has named Anthony (Tony) Fernandes for St Andre constituency even as it nearly ran out of choice with the vacuum created after sitting MLA Francis Silveira joined BJP along with nine others in 2019.
While Congress hardly did anything to cut its losses in St Andre since Silveira’s departure, GFP staked its claim on St Andre even before alliance talks were finalised.
On expected lines, the name of former minister Michael Lobo, who joined Congress last week, is on the list.
Congress is, however, yet to announce a candidate for Siolim where Lobo’s wife, Delilah has been actively canvassing for the last many months. Delilah had joined Congress along with her husband.
Late night the party declared its fourth list in which its working president and former minister Aleixo Sequeira was nominated from Nuvem and Savio D’Silva from Velim.
Councillor Dharmesh Sanglani has been picked to contest against chief minister Pramod Sawant in Sakhali, while, in Canacona, which GFP was eyeing, Congress asserted itself by nominating its long-time youth functionary Janardan Bhandari. This is the second time Sanglani has been nominated by Congress.
Other constituencies for which candidates declared were, Porvorim Vikash Prabhudesai, Tivim Aman Lotlikar, and Bicholim Meghashyam Raut. In Porvorim, Prabhudesai will take on Rohan Khaunte who is now with BJP. Lotlikar, who joined Congress in recent times, has already started the campaign by sponsoring various events in the constituency, a source said.
For Madkai, Congress has named MGP’s former Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar who joined it about a week ago after parting ways with Trinamool Congress (TMC). Former independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar was named the Sanguem candidate. Goankar, too, joined Congress a few days ago.
Congress lost much of its support in Tivim after MLA Nilkant Halarnkar joined BJP though the former hasn’t done anything significant in the last year to mop up support.
To date, Congress has declared candidates for 30 constituencies, including two of its pre-poll alliance partner, GFP. It may have to make a fresh announcement for Poriem and Curtorim. Senior legislator Pratapsingh Rane who was declared Poriem candidate last month hinted at his disinterest in continuing in politics after being there for about 50 years.
It had named Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco as its Curtorim candidate a week before he left Congress and joined TMC. Two days ago, Lourenco quit TMC, but has yet to reveal his plan, though Lobo has invited him to rejoin Congress. It remains to be seen if Congress will take him back and also give him a ticket after he left it red-faced last month.
A source said that Congress does not want to cede much space to GPF in seat-sharing and would want the latter to be content with just Fatorda and Mayem, well aware that GFP does not have many chips to bargain. Meanwhile, GFP has also not hidden its plan for Mandrem.
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