Two Cong rebels, 2 ministers file nominations

Panaji, May 11 (UNI) Congress rebels Subhash Ganesh Narvekar, brother of Law Minister Dayanand Narvekar, and former minister and Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Nirmala Sawant were among the 28 who filed their nomination papers today on the fourth day of filing of papers for the June 2 elections to the state Legislative Assembly.

Mr Narvekar will contest the election from the Mapusa constituency as an Independent candidate as he was denied a ticket, while Ms Sawant, who unsuccessfully contested by-elections aginst her present rival Transport Minister Pandurang Madkaikar, will again contest the election from the Cumbarjua constituency as an Independent condidate. In all, seven filed their papers as Independents.

Among other prominent personalities who filed their nominations were Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar, who recently quit the BJP to become Housing Minister in the Congress-led Pratapsinh Rane government, and Power Minister Digambar Kamat.

Ten BJP nominees filed their papers. Prominent among them were sitting member Rajesh Patnekar (Bicholim), Surresh Amonkar (Pale), Vasudeo Mang Gaonkar (Sanguem) and disqualified member and former president Rajendra Arlekar (Vasco).

Sitting Congress legislator Alex Sequera filed his papers from the Loutolim constituency, while Goa Su-Raj party president Lobo Floriano Concesao did from Aldona and CPI nominee Gajanan Naik from Calangute.

With this, the total number of people who filed their nominations for the 40-member House has risen to 40.

UNI