Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: There will be a lot on the line for more than just the candidates running for the two Lok Sabha seats- North and South Goa, as voting is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
While two sets may not play a major role in the formation of Central government; at the State level, the outcome may significantly impact the political future of a number of leaders including some ruling MLAs.
Results will be known by noon on Tuesday, indicating whether Shripad Naik of the BJP breaks the record for the most consecutive victories or if veteran Congressman Ramakant Khalap has managed to stop him cold. Manoj Parab, the president of the Revolutionary Goans Party, will also know his fate.
Conversely, the June 4 results will determine the direction political parties will go in the future.
The results will have the greatest impact and significance on the newly formed regional party, RGP. Manoj Parab, the party’s president, is a contender, and it will be important to keep a close eye on his vote total as it may be critical to the survival and future growth of this young party.
The counting in North Goa will be held on 157 tables while in South it is on 161 tables. The counting would be held in seven rounds each in both the constituencies.
During the counting on Tuesday, there will be 236 micro observers for North Goa and 242 for South Goa. The ECI has appointed 282 counting supervisors for North Goa and 220 for South Goa. There will be 282 counting assistants for North and 210 for South Goa.
The ECI has further said that there will be 376 returning officers for North and 210 for South.
The Election Commission has also said that there will be 454 counting agents for North Goa and 495 for South Goa.
There are seven special observers for North Goa and six for South Goa.
The election is also seen as a litmus test for Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who needs to make sure the BJP unseats the Congress in order to demonstrate his own leadership abilities.
Within two months of assuming office after the death of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar, he had to contend with the most recent parliamentary elections (2019).
Even as the Modi wave swept across other parts of the country, Francisco Sardinha of the Congress won the South Goa seat from the BJP. 2014 saw BJP’s Narendra Sawaikar win the South Goa seat under Parrikar.
To win the South Goa seat, the Congress and BJP both threw everything on the line. The Congress hopes to win in Salcete, the largest taluka with eight assembly constituencies.
The BJP and Congress have been engaged in a fierce battle in South Goa for more than 25 years.
The BJP is overconfident that it will hold the seat in North Goa for a sixth term in a row. Rane assured Shripad of the best lead possible. Sawant put in a lot of work in the Bicholim Taluka.
Even though Khalap has been back in the political sphere for almost 17 years, he still has silent support in some areas of Pernem taluka, where he first entered the field 40 years ago.
In North Goa, Ramakant Khalap of the Congress was matched against sitting BJP MP and Union Minister Shripad Naik. Since 1999, Naik has been winning this BJP stronghold.
Viriato Fernandes will replace Congressman Francisco Sardinha, who currently holds the South Goa seat, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He is up against Pallavi Dempo of the BJP.
