Congress has declared first list of 22 candidates. It includes all former Congress MLAs, except Victoria Fernandes (St Cruz), Pandurang Madkaikar (Cumbarjua) and Alex Reginald Lawrenco (Curtorim). Congress has also rewarded Dayanand Sopte (Mandrem) and Rajesh Patnekar (Bicholim) for quitting the BJP. Most interesting among it is Babush Monseratte being declared as St Cruz candidate, indicating that all efforts of Victoria Fernandes to field her son Rudolph have gone waste.
The only two new candidates declared in the list are Panaji Mayor Yatin Parekh from Panaji and Caetan Xavier from Cortalim. GPCC president Subhash Shirodkar, who was defeated by BJP’s Mahadev Naik, has been nominated from Shiroda once again.Congress has also not declared Benaulim seat, from where Churchill’s daughter Valanka has already started her campaign. Similarly, the Congress has kept on hold the candidature of Taleigao, which was held by Babush earlier. He wants the seat for his wife Jennifer. Curtorim is probably being held up because South Goa MP & former Curtorim MLA Francisco Sardinha is trying hard to get the seat for his son Shalon, sidelining sitting MLA Reginald Lawrenco.
The list of 22 candidates is as follows:
- Mandrem – Dayanand Sopte
- Pernem – Babu Azgaonkar
- Valpoi – Vishwajeet Rane
- Poriem – Pratapsing Rane
- Sanquelim – Pratap Gawas
- Bicholim – Rajesh Patnekar
- Aldona – Dayanand Narvekar
- Calangute – Agnel Fernandes
- Panaji – Yatin Parekh
- St Cruz – Babush Monseratte
- St Andre – Francis Silveira
- Ponda – Ravi Naik
- Shiroda – Subhash Shirodkar
- Dabolim – Mauvin Godinho
- Cortalim – Caetan Xavier
- Nuvem – Alexio Sequeira
- Navelim – Churchill Alemao
- Margao – Digambar Kamat
- Velim – Philip Neri Rodrigues
- Cuncolim – Joaquim Alemao
- Quepem – Babu Kavlekar
- Curchorem – Shyam Satardekar
