Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: It was an unevenly poised voting pattern witnessed in the Canacona assembly segment, even as Canacona gave the highest number of votes (16102) and third-largest lead of 7132 votes to South Goa Lok Sabha BJP candidate Pallavi Dempo amongst all the 20 assembly segments of South-Goa.
Goa Assembly Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar’s gauntlet guarantying a lead of over 10,000 led to the BJP candidate taking a bereft beating as Agonda village one of the favourite hunting grounds of Tawadkar delivered a broken and negative mandate to the Tawadkar’s ambitious plan.
Agonda is the only village amongst 6 VPs and one municipality, where BJP conceded the lead to Congress-led I.N.D.I. Alliance by a narrow 132 votes. BJP, however, took substantial leads in Shristhal (717), Poinguinim (1401), Loliem-Polem (792), Gaondongrim (758) and Khotigao (744) village panchayat areas and unassailable lead of 2944 votes in Canacona Municipality area.
BJP candidate Pallavi Dempo taking a lead of 7132 votes in Canacona, eventually lost the South-Goa seat to Congress Capt Viriato Fernandes.
In the 213678 overall votes polled by I.N.D.I.A candidate Capt Viriato Fernandes, congressman polled 9134 votes against BJP’s Dempo getting 16359 votes (BJP’s highest number of votes in any one assembly segment) in the overall total of 201376 votes.
While Congress Fernandes overall won the South Goa seat by a 15545 margin, had in fact conceded a lead of 7132 votes to BJP’s Dempo at the Canacona constituency.
Incidentally, Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar is on record to state that the Canacona constituency, represented by him in Goa Assembly will give a guaranteed lead of over 10,000 votes to BJP’s candidate Pallavi Dempo.
The Speaker addressing a press meet a day before the campaign period ended, has stated the lead is likely to extend by 14,000-15,000 votes following the extension of support to BJP by two notable independent candidates (ex-Dy. Speaker Isidore Fernandes and Ex-Canacona MLA Vijay Poi Khot) of last assembly elections which Tawadkar had won. Tawadkar has also categorically stated that this time BJP is going to get 90% votes of the Hindu electorate and 70% votes from the ST community in Canacona.
Post polling, Canacona BJP Mandal President Vishal Dessai had however, asserted a lead of around 8,000 votes to BJP in Canacona, while I.N.D.I. alliance spokesman Vikas Bhagat stated that the alliance has performed to the hilt inspite of not having any of the 12 CMC councilors and most of the Sarpanch, Pancha’s of Canacona village panchayats with the alliance will garner maximum votes share.
The summary of Canacona constituency Lok Sabha votes gives a piquant view where BJP has conceded a slender lead of just 131 votes to INDIA candidate at 4 of the 6 booths of Agonda Panchayat, has however taken substantial leads in Shristhal (717), Poinguinim (1401), Loliem-Polem(792), Gaondongrim (758) and Khotigao (744) village panchayat areas and unassailable lead of 2944 votes in Canacona Municipality area. However, none of these leads were sufficient/good enough to give an overall lead of over 10,000-15,000 votes as boasted by Tawadkar.
As to Tawadkar’s attempts to polarize the polls, has guaranteed to garner 90% of Hindu votes, seems to have met the same fate, as not only the INDI Alliance candidate but even RGP (overall in Canaocna-924) has polled more than substantial votes in Hindu community dominated areas.
Tawadkar has also challenged INDI alliance partner and GFP leader Prashant Naik by taking a lead in his own ward of Maxem and showing him his place. BJP however, received 132 votes against the INDI Alliance candidate votes of 280 votes and conceded a lead of 146.
The voting pattern in the ST electorate belt (Gaondongrim-Khotigao-Part of Poinguinim-Part of Shristhal) has also thrown a strong gauntlet against Tawadkar’s assertion of polling over 70 % of polled votes to the saffron brigade, Congress’s Capt Viriato Fernandes. Voting in ST-dominated booths shows Congress has bagged between 35-45 % of the votes polled against BJPs 45-65% polled votes.
