Former BJP Minister Michael Lobo among prominent faces in the second list
@the_news_21
Mumbai: The Congress on Tuesday announced its second list of nine candidates for the upcoming Goa Assembly election. Prominent candidates included in the second list are Michael Lobo, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister who recently quit the saffron party to join the Congress. Lobo will contest from Calangute, former MLA Prasad Gaonkar has been fielded from Sanguem constituency while ex-MLA Lavoo Mamledar will contest from Marcaim.
“A good mix of experience and youth who I’m sure will hold Goa in good stead if elected as MLAs,” tweeted Congress’ Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao after the list was announced.
The party has fielded Dharmesh Saglani from the Sanquelim seat against incumbent MLA and Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant. Saglani had unsuccessfully contested the seat as the Congress’ candidate in 2017 as well, he was then defeated by Sawant by more than 2,000 votes.
It may be recalled that Michael Lobo, a former two-time MLA from Calangute, had reportedly quit after the BJP top brass had refused to give a ticket to his wife Delilah Lobo. A prominent businessman, Lobo has considerable influence and can cause trouble for the BJP in the neighbouring constituencies of Saligao, Siolim and Mapusa constituencies.
Lavoo Mamledar, a former legislator from the Ponda Assembly constituency in South Goa, had been among the first local leaders to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC) bandwagon four months ago in September, along with former Congress Chief Minister and now TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro.
Lavoo Mamledar, had quit the TMC last month after accusing it of being communal and trying to divide Goans on the basis of religion and dubbing the party as being worse than the BJP. He is locked in a straight contest with lone Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) MLA Sudhin Dhavalikar, who has held the Marcaim seat for nearly 25 years now.
