Cuncolim : A total of 587 aspiring candidates have filed their nominations for the 40 assembly seats in Goa with Cuncolim topping the list with 20 candidates putting in their papers followed by Mayem and Siolim with 19 candidates each.
The constituency wise nominations details are Aldona (14), Benaulim (11), Bicholim (12), Calangute (11), Canacona (14), Cumbharjua (13), Cuncolim (20), Curchorem (17), Curtorim (14), Dabolim (11), Fatorda (15), Mayem (19), Mapusa (14), Madkai (12), Margao (13), Mormugao (15), Navelim (17), Nuvem (18), Panaji (16), Pernem (13), Ponda (17), Poriem (11), Porvorim (14), Priol (15), Quepem (15), Saligao (12), Sanguem (16), Sanquelim (18), Sanvordem (12), Siolim (19), Shiroda (16), St Andre (13), St Cruz (13), Taleigao (15), Thivim
(12), Valpoi (13), Vasco (13) and Velim (11).
The filing of nomination process ended on Friday.
The nomination process for the Goa assembly polls, scheduled on February 14, had commenced from January 28. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is January 31.
As per the information provided by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), a total of 587 nominations, that includes even dummy or substitute candidates, have been filed across 40 seats. The highest - 22 nominations - have been filed from Mandrem assembly seat followed by 21 in Cortalim.
On the last day of filing nominations on Friday, close to 200 nominations were filed including Aam Aadmi party's Chief Ministerial Adv Amit Palekar from St Cruz constituency that has total 13 candidates in the fray for now.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) for the very first time is contesting across all 40 seats. The Congress party has fielded candidates in 37 constituencies while it's ally Goa Forward Party (GFP) is contesting on three seats.
Aam Aadmi Party is contesting on 39 seats and has extended support to one independent candidate in Bicholim.
The Trinamool Congress (26) and alliance partner MGP (13) are contesting total 39 seats and hasn’t fielded any candidate in Panjim constituency. The newly formed Revolutionary Goans Party has fielded candidates in 38 constituencies, while supporting INC in Aldona and Porvorim. The Nationalist Congress party (NCP) and Shiv Sena together are fighting in 24 constituencies with 12 seats each.
Prominent candidates who filed their nominations on the last day were former Advocate General and Congress candidate Carlos Alvares Ferreira (Aldona), former Ministers and NCP candidates Filipe Nery Rodrigues (Velim) and Mickky Pacheco (Nuvem), Congress candidates Sudhir Kandolkar (Mapusa), Vikas Prabhudesai (Porvorim), Jitendra Gaonkar (Pernem) and former MLA Lavoo Mamledar (Marcaim), BJP candidate Antonio ‘Tony’ Fernandes (St Cruz), AAP candidates Adv Amit Palekar (St Cruz), Adv Prasad Shahapurkar (Mandrem) and Cecille Rodrigues (Taleigao), TMC candidate Adv Seoula Vaz (Fatorda) and Victor Gonsalves (St Cruz) and Revolutionary Goans president Manoj Parab (Valpoi).
Total of 367 dummy and independent candidates have filed their nominations.