Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The political temperature in Ponda has risen sharply with the constituency set to witness a keen three-cornered contest between the BJP, Congress and AAP in the by-election scheduled for April 9, 2026.
The BJP has fielded Ritesh Naik, son of former minister late Ravi Naik, signalling a strategy to retain the veteran leader’s legacy vote bank. A former chairperson of the Ponda Municipal Council, Ritesh Naik has been active in local politics since joining the party in 2020 and has played a key organisational role in recent elections.
The seat fell vacant following the demise of Ravi Naik on October 15, 2025, marking the end of a long-standing political era in the constituency.
The Congress has nominated Ketan Bhatikar, a former MGP leader who had narrowly lost to Ravi Naik in the 2022 Assembly elections by around 100 votes. His candidature is aimed at consolidating anti-BJP votes and capitalising on his previous strong showing.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party has fielded social worker and Bhandari Samaj leader Geetesh Naik, who recently joined the party in the presence of national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. His entry reflects AAP’s renewed push to expand its footprint in Goa.
Ponda, traditionally dominated by Ravi Naik, now faces a more open and unpredictable contest in his absence. The narrow margin in the last Assembly election has boosted Congress’s confidence, while the BJP is banking on continuity through legacy and youth appeal.
AAP’s presence adds a new dimension, with the potential to influence vote shares among sections seeking an alternative to traditional parties.
Ritesh Naik expressed gratitude to the BJP leadership for reposing faith in him and appealed to voters to extend the same support given to his father over the past decades. He said he would carry forward his father’s work and expressed confidence of victory.
Roy Naik also struck a conciliatory note, stating that political opponents are friends and expressing confidence that the BJP will secure victory in the by-election.
