Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: Canacona BDO office saw a flurry of political activity, with candidates from the BJP, Congress–Goa Forward Party (GFP) alliance and even a Congress dissident filing their nomination papers for the Khola (22) and Poinguinim (23) Zilla Panchayat constituencies.
Congress leader and Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa arrived with supporters to accompany Congress candidate Sumitra Pagi as she filed her papers for the Khola ZP seat. Around the same time, BJP candidates Ajay (Ajit) Lolienkar for Poinguinim and Tejal Pagi for Khola submitted their nominations in the presence of Minister for Sports, Tribal Welfare and Arts & Culture Ramesh Tawadkar, former Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar, and a strong contingent of party karyakartas.
GFP candidate Prashant Naik, representing the Congress–GFP alliance, became the first to file his nomination before Returning Officer Vipul Naik Gaunkar. Naik was accompanied by former minister and ex-Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes, whose recent entry into the GFP has reportedly unsettled some in Congress ranks, said to be contributing to delays in finalising the alliance. Brushing aside the speculation, Isidore asserted that Congress workers and his supporters were united behind Naik, ensuring a “comfortable win”.
A twist followed with Congress dissident and former Khotigao sarpanch Daya Gaonkar, a tribal leader, filing his nomination as well. Gaonkar insisted he remained “a Congressman at heart”, claiming all Congress workers were backing him. “I’m contesting to win; it doesn’t matter who I defeat,” he said, maintaining that he would continue in Congress even if elected.
In Poinguinim, BJP candidate Ajay Lolienkar — accompanied by Minister Tawadkar and his wife, Poinguinim sarpanch Savita Tawadkar — expressed confidence in a decisive win, crediting the “activation of grassroots karyakartas”. Tawadkar echoed this sentiment, asserting that no one could stop Lolienkar’s victory, and that workers were committed to securing an even bigger margin than the outgoing BJP ZP member.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate Sumitra Pagi filed her papers for Khola amid supporters from Betul–Naqueri VP and Quepem constituency. Though D’Costa maintained he was unaware of any Congress–GFP alliance agreement, he claimed Congress workers from Agonda, Shristhal, Khola and Betul–Naqueri were rallying behind their candidate. Notably, no prominent Congress leaders from Agonda or Shristhal attended the filing.
BJP’s Tejal Pagi also submitted her nomination, with Kavlekar affirming she too would register a larger victory margin than the outgoing BJP ZP member.
With multiple candidates rushing in, the Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officer (Canacona BDO) saw a hectic day as more nominations — including second sets and dummy papers — continued to be filed.
