Panaji (Goa) The campaign for Panaji and Valpoi by election will culminate tomorrow with the voting for both the assembly constituencies scheduled on August 23.
BJP has fielded chief minister Manohar Parrikar in Panaji constituency who is pitted against Congress’ Girish Chodankar and Anand Shirodkar of Goa Suraksha Manch. In Valpoi BJP candidate Vishwajit Rane is contesting against Congress’ Roy Naik.
“As per Election Commission of India, the canvassing has to stop 48 hours before the polling. This means the campaigning will end tomorrow evening (Monday) at 5 pm,” the ECI official said today.
The ECI has already prohibited opinion poll or exit poll from Monday onwards.
With only few hours left for the campaigning, the candidates were making last ditch efforts to woo the voters. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar addressed two public meetings on Sunday one at Valpoi and another at Panaji.
Congress too addressed press conference laying attack on the BJP. Their candidates were seen visiting door to door in their respective constituencies.
Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) which has fielded its candidate only in Panaji constituency did not organise any public meeting during the entire campaigning while their stress was on the door to door contacts.
Valpoi constituency has around 26,094 voters of whom only 23,129 had voted during 2017 state assembly election. Vishwajit Rane who had then contested on Congress ticket had won the poll with 12,412 votes against his rival, BJP candidate Satyavijay Naik who polled 9473 votes.
After the election, Rane had left the Congress party and resigned as MLA to join BJP.
Panaji constituency which covers the state capital and adjoining areas has 22,203 voters of which 17,339 had casted their vote for 2017 assembly election. BJP candidate Siddharth Kuncolienkar had won the election defeating Atanasio Monserratte of United Goans party, which was supported by Congress.
Kuncolienkar had polled 7924 votes as against Monserratte who had 6855 votes to his share. The BJP MLA then resigned to make way for Parrikar to contest from this constituency.
Team TNV