Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: With the campaigning guns falling silent at 8 am on Thursday, intense electioneering for the Khola (22) and Poinguinim (23) Zilla Panchayat seats came to an end, as candidates across party lines expressed confidence of emerging victorious. However, BJP candidates in both constituencies are widely perceived to be holding the edge as the contests head into polling.
In Khola, the contest has shaped into a three-cornered fight involving BJP, Congress–Goa Forward Party (GFP) alliance and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). BJP candidate Tejal Pagi, backed by former Chief Minister and BJP Vice President Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar and supported by Canacona MLA and Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, is pitted against Congress candidate Sumitra Pagi, supported by Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, and AAP candidate Adv. Samiksha Kholkar.
BJP’s Tejal Pagi is the only candidate to have completed door-to-door campaigning across all four village panchayats—Agonda, Shristhal, Khola and Betul-Naqueri. Congress candidate Sumitra Pagi’s outreach remained limited, while AAP’s presence was also confined to select areas. Campaigning saw sharp exchanges between Altone D’Costa and Chandrakant Kavlekar, with both sides holding multiple corner meetings attended by senior party leaders, including BJP state president Damu Naik.
In Poinguinim, BJP candidate Ajay (Ajit) Lolienkar is believed to enjoy an advantage owing to an aggressive and well-coordinated campaign by party karyakartas. Minister Ramesh Tawadkar conducted several corner meetings in areas considered weak for the BJP, further strengthening Lolienkar’s position.
The Congress–GFP alliance candidate Prashant Naik, backed by former minister and ex-Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes, made visible inroads in several pockets, holding interactions with farmers and local residents. Independent candidates Shailesh Pagui, former Loliem-Polem sarpanch, and Daya (Umesh) Gaonkar, a Congress rebel and former Khotigao sarpanch, also ran extensive campaigns across all four village panchayats, drawing noticeable support.
AAP candidate and former Khotigao sarpanch Rajesh Gaonkar trailed behind in terms of campaign visibility, while BJP rebel Vipin Prabhugaonkar largely campaigned solo. Another independent candidate, Diksha Pagi, limited her outreach mainly to Poinguinim, focusing on areas with community support.
As campaigning concludes, all candidates claim to have made significant inroads, but political observers believe the BJP candidates in both Khola and Poinguinim head into polling day with a clear advantage.
