Cabinet clears Assembly dissolution by Monday

The newly elected MLA’s are all set to hold their first meeting next Monday. The main agenda for the meeting will be to decide the first step and set an appropriate course of action for the upcoming term, BJP’s Pramod Sawant said.

After BJP claimed half of the 40 seats, 3 elected independent MLA’s and MGP have declared their support to BJP, adding that they are ready to form the Govt with the party.

Yesterday overcoming anti incumbency, the BJP had emerged as the single largest party winning 20 seats, just one short of majority. However, 3 independent candidates including former Congress heavyweight Reginaldo Lourenco had supported the government.

In a volte face the MGP too who was in a pre poll alliance with the TMC also offered unconditional support to the government.

Goan voters rejected 19 candidates. Of these 19, 11 were sitting MLAs at time of going for the polls on February 14, while eight had resigned few weeks before the elections. 

Voters, however, elected 19 new faces in the 40-member Assembly. The list also includes eight first time MLAs from Congress party, five BJP, two IND and one MGP. 

Viresh Borkar of Revolutionary Goans won from St Andre constituency with the lowest margin of 76 votes against 3 time MLA Francisco Silveira of BJP. BJP’s Ravi Naikbeat MGP’s KetanBhatikar with a margin of just 77 votes.

AAP’s Cruz Silva won against Congress’s SavioD’Silva with the third lowest margin of 169 votes. 

BJP’s DeviyaVishwajitRane won with a record margin of 13,943 votes in Poriem constituency, which was earlier represented by her father-in-law PratapsinghRane.

Second highest margin of 9,963 was recorded by RamkrishnaSudinDhavalikar of MGP in Madkai constituency followed by VishwajitRane in Valpoi who won by 8,083 votes from his closest rival. BJP MLA from Porvorim Rohan Khaunte also won the elections with 7950 margin.

With the BJP securing 20 seats in the assembly, MGP and 3 Independent candidates including former congress heavy weight Reginaldo Lourenco have offered their unconditional support to the party.

BJP state president SadanandTanavde however refused to give any firm answer regarding the support offered. Tanavade also said that party workers who were inlvoved in anti-party activities would be taken to task via an internal party committee after making a list of such party workers.