Voters snub Parrikar, Cong to form govt

The Congress now has 18 MLAs in the 39-member house while allies MGP and NCP account for one and two seats respectively, giving it a decisive edge to form the next government. Weighed down by charges of corruption, Parrikar—whose reputation as Mr Clean once transcended his association with BJP—could win only one seat for his party and raise the tally to 17. The BJP also has the support of an ally, a lone UGDP member.

For the IITian-turned-politician, the defeat was linked as much to charges of financial misdemeanour as the fact that the Sangh Parivar had offended the Catholics with recent speeches by VHP firebrands.

The lone seat bagged by the BJP is now being attributed to caste factors. The BJP candidate Ramesh Tawadkar won the Poingunim seat by a thin margin of 886 votes with support from his Velip community.

Elsewhere, the BJP’s losses were big. While former BJP MLA from Cumbarjua won comfortably on a Congress ticket, BJP came third behind an Independent candidate. In Benaulim too, Mickey Pacheco of the NCP won with 8,386 votes while Monte Cruz of UGDP came second with 5510 votes. BJP bagged just 446 votes, finishing fourth.

In Margao, a one-time BJP stronghold, Digamber Kamat, who is remembered as the No.2 in the Parrikar cabinet, won easily on a Congress ticket with 8,682 votes against Sharmad Raiturkar (BJP) who polled 7,305 votes. In Taleigaon, Atanasio Monserrate, also formerly of BJP, won as a Congress candidate with 11,657 votes.

CLP to leave it to Sonia

It seems the Congress Legislative Party meeting to elect a leader tomorrow will remain inconclusive with the MLAs all set to pass a one-line resolution authorising Sonia Gandhi to nominate the next CM.

The emerging scenario within the CLP shows three major contenders: CLP leader and ex-CM Pratapsingh Rane, current PCC chief and former CM Ravi Naik, and former PCC chief and ex-CM Luizinho Faleiro.