Cong-NCP 4, BJP 1
Sandesh Prabhudesai
5 June 2005
The Congress-led alliance swept the crucial by-elections
in Goa, paving way to lift the President’s rule and
form a popular government.
Goa has been under the spell of President’s rule since
March, with the 40-member Assembly being kept under suspended
animation.
The Congress-led alliance won four out of five seats, losing
only one seat to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Congress candidate Isidore Fernandes (Poinguinim), who was
facing election for the third time during the ongoing tenure
of the 10th Assembly, lost to the BJP candidate Ramesh Tavadkar.
Digambar Kamat (Margao), Babush Monserette (Taleigao) and
Pandurang Madkaikar (Cumbarjua), all former ministers in the
erstwhile BJP-led government, won the by-polls on Congress
ticket.
Nationalist Congress Party candidate Micky Pacheco, who had
also quit the BJP, won from Benaulim.
The new trend of defections by quitting the party and coming
back through by-polls was started by the BJP. Fernandes had
quit the Congress in November last year, to get re-elected
on BJP ticket. He however quit once again within three months,
along with four others.
This had resulted into the collapse of the four and half
years’ tenure of Manohar Parrikar in February. However,
in spite of installing the Congress-led alternate government,
Pratapsing Rane had failed to prove his majority on 4 March.
Governor S C Jamir was ruling Goa since then.
- Isidore Fernandes (Cong) loses to Ramesh
Tavadkkar (BJP) in Poinguinim by 889 votes
- Digambar Kamat (Cong) defeats Sharmad Raiturkar
(BJP) by 1377 votes in Margao
- Pandurang Madkaikar (Cong) retains Cumbarjua
by defeating Nirmala Sawant (Ind) by 3755 votes
- Babush Monserette (Cong) wins by 6228 votes
over Pradip Nagvekar (BJP) in Taleigao
- Micky Pacheco (NCP) wins Benaulim, defeating
Monte Cruz (UGDP) by 2876 votes
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