Rane, Parrikar file nominations on penultimte day

Panaji, May 14 (UNI) Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane, leader of opposition and former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and several other ministers, were among the 113 candidates who filed their nomination papers on the penultimate day for the June 2 Goa Legislative Assembly elections.

With this, the total number of nominations filed till date has risen to 168 for the 40-member House.

Tomorrow is the last date for filing the papers. They will be scrutinised on May 16. And the withdrawal of nominations is scheduled for May 18.

Mr Rane had filed the papers from Poriem, considered his citadel in North Goa.

Prominent among the rest who filed their papers today, included Industries Minister Luizinho Faleiro (Navelim), Panchayatraj Minister Subhash Shirodkar (Shiroda), Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao (Cuncolim), Speaker Francisco Saardinha (Curtorim), Deputuy Speaker Ms Victoria Fernandes (Santa Cruz) and GPCC President Ravi Naik (Ponda).

Save Goa Front President Churchil Alemao, who had recently resigned as the Lok Sabha Congress MP from South Goa too filed his papers for Navelim aginst Luizin Faleiro.

NCP nominee and Agriculture Minister Micky Pascheco (Benaulim), Co-operation Minister Sudin Davalikar (MGP-Madkai), and sitting BJP legislator Sadnand Tanawde (Tivim) and Ram Braganza (NCP-Mapusa), Kiran Shirodkar (MGP-Mapusa).

On the other hand, Mr Parrikar filed his papers from the capital city of Panaji. He has held the constituency for three consecutive terms and became Chief Minister twice in 2000 and 2002 only to be dismissed on February 2, 2005 following Congress-led revollion.

The 52-year-old Mr Parrikar, visited the famous Mahalaxmi temple here and sought blessings from the Goddess before filing the nomination papers. He later opened his election office.

Meanwhile, his Congress rival and Youth Congress Vice President Dinar Tarcar, who alleged minupulation of electoral list at the instance of the BJP, had also filed his nomination papers today.

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