Azgaoncar, Isidore among first list of 12 Cong nominees

Panaji, May 7 (UNI) Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar, who had recently quit primary membership of the BJP and the legislative assembly to become Housing Minister and Isodore Fernandes, who rejoined the Congress after quitting the BJP to lose by-elections but woo an office of profit, figured among the dozen candidates, nominated today by the Congress High Command for contesting the June 2 Goa Assembly elections.

Both of them were nominated to contest from Dhargal and Ponguinim constituencies respectively.

The remaining ten are sitting legislators recontesting from their respective constituencies.

They are: Speaker Francisco Sardinha (Curtorim), Transpsort Minister Pandurang Madkaikar (Cumbharjua), Health and Law Minister Dayanand Narvekar (Aldona), Digambar Kamat (Margao), Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao (Cuncolim), Alexo Sequera (Loutolim), Water Resources Minister Fillipe Neri Rodrigues (Velim), Chandrakant R Kawlekar (Quepem), vice-chirman of the Kala Academy Jitendra Deshprabhu (Pernem) and Francis Silveira (St Andre).

The list was released today after the approval of the names by the Central Election Committee of the Congress in Delhi.

The party is yet to release the names of other constituencies it desired to contest for the the 40-member House even as 168 candidates had applied for the Congress tickets.

It has not yet been announced as to how many seats it will leave for its ally NCP or whether it would do so or not in the light of the majority of the party workers in favour of going for the elections all alone.

UNI