Cong announces third list for Goa Assembly polls

New Delhi, May 13: The Central Election Committee of the Congress today approved the names of nine more candidates for the June 2 Assembly elections in Goa.

According to an AICC release, the candidates are Mr Angelo Fernandes from Calangute, Mr Babush Monseratte from Taleigao, Mrs Victoria Fernandes from Santa Cruz, Dr Kashinath G Jalmi from Priol, Mr Ramchandra G Naik-Mule from Marcaim, Mr Vijay J Sardesai from Fatorda, Mr Pradeep T Desai from Sanvordem, Mr Minguellino D'Costa from Sanguem, and Mr Shyam G Salardekar from Curchorem.

The Congress has already declared 22 names for the 34 seats it is contesting in the House of 40.

It has given six seats to its alliance partner, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The Congress and the NCP fought the last elections independently with the Congress contesting all the 40 seats and the NCP 20.

The elections saw all NCP candidates except one, Wilfred D'Souza (Saligao), falling by the wayside, while the Congress managed to win 16 seats.

As no party could get an absolute majority, smaller parties joined hands with the BJP to form a government under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar.

The Congress and the NCP came together in 2005 to pull down the BJP-coalition and get majority through byelections in five constituencies.

Both parties are now ruling the state along with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

UNI