Panaji-Valpoi by-polls 2 days before Chovoth, Surendra Desai may fight Parrikar

On 23^rd August. The announcement has come with a Code of Conduct imposed in the whole of North Goa district.

The Election Commission of India on Thursday announced the schedule of by-elections in 4 Assembly constituencies – two in Goa and one each in Delhi and Andhra Pradesh.

The notification would be issued on 29^th of July, since when nominations would begin.

The last date of nominations is 5^th of August.

Scrutiny would be held on 7^th August while withdrawals would end by 9^th August.

The polling would be held on 23^rd August. Counting would be on 28^th August. The Code of Conduct for the whole of North Goa would remain in force till 31^st of August.

The by-polls have arisen as Siddharth Kunkolkar vacated the Panaji seat to accommodate Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Though it was presumed that Parrikar will have a tough time since Babush Monseratte would once again cross swords in Panaji, this was neutralized with Babush joining Goa Forward, the major ally of the coalition government.

He will now work for Parrikar.

In the last election, Siddharth could win by hardly 1000 votesin spite of Parrikar personally canvassing for him.

This was the result, where anti-BJP votes were split between Babush and AAP.

PANAJI RESULT – MARCH 2017

The Congress is yet to formally announce its candidate.

But sources in the Congress House reveal that the opposition party has decided to field Goa’s top high court lawyer Adv Surendra Desai.

And Aam Aadmi Party would once again field Valmiki Naik.

It is however not known who would be the Congress candidate in Valpoi against health minister Vishwajeet Rane.

He resigned after getting elected as Congress MLA and joined the BJP.