Goa polls: Four former CMs in Congress' first list

The Congress was also likely to tie up with two regional parties, namely Goa Forward and the United Goans Party.

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Congress party on Thursday declared its first list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Goa assembly polls, which includes four former chief ministers and a host of new faces.

The list of candidates was released by All India Congress Committee General Secretary Madhusudan Mistry in New Delhi. Former Chief Ministers Pratapsingh Rane (Poriem), Ravi Naik (Ponda), Digambar Kamat (Margao) and Luizinho Faleiro (Navelim) were selected in the first list of candidates. Faleiro, a former member of the Congress Working Committee, is also the state Congress president.

The list also includes three women candidates -- Jennifer Monserrate (Taleigao), Urmila Naik (Madkai) and Savitri Kavlekar (Sanguem). Kavlekar is the wife of sitting Quepem MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar, who is also a part of the first list released by the party. The father and son duo of Prapatsingh Rane and Vishwajit Rane (Valpoi) are also included.

Eleven out of the 27 announced candidates would be contesting assembly polls on the Congress' ticket for the first time or in many cases making their debut in elections to the Goa legislative assembly. The Congress was also likely to tie up with two regional parties, namely Goa Forward and the United Goans Party.

The party sources said that the final round of talks were on between leaders of all the three parties over the issue of seat-sharing. Elections to the 40 member Goa legislative assembly would be held on February 4.

IANS