Panaji: The BJP-MGP combine has routed the Congress out of power in Goa, notching 24 seats out of 40. Manohar Parrikar, who spearheaded the BJP's charge on the illegal mining issue and is tipped to be the next chief minister, won from Panaji, defeating Congress' Yatin Parekh by over 5,000 votes. A jubilant Parrikar declared that he will most likely be the next chief minister of the state. "The Congress has been punished in Goa. I am proud of the fact that I got support from Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike. They have voted to save Goa," he said.
He added, "I have given a time schedule which I will follow. In the budget, we will make announcements like petrol VAT and inflation."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up Parrikar to congratulate him on poll results.
So pronounced were the winds of change, that 19 new faces were elected this time.
The Congress, which had 16 seats last time, was reduced to nine seats. Its ally NCP, which had three seats last time, was wiped out. Chief Minister Digamber Kamat resigned as soon as the BJP crossed the majority mark of 21 seats.
The final tally showed BJP at 21 seats, its ally, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) at 3, Congress at 9, the Goa Vikas Party (GVP) at 2 and Independents at 5.
The GVP managed to win on two seats including Nuvem, where party supremo Miccky Pacheco emerged victorious, and Benaulim where its Caetan Silva managed to defeat Congress' Valanka Alemao.
Four of the five independents Benjamin Silva (Velim), Avertan Furtado (Navelim), Naresh Sawal (Bicholim) and Rohan Khaunte (Porvorim), wrested seats held by Congress, while Vijay Sardesai (Fatorda) snatched it from BJP.
BJP President Nitin Gadkari said at a press conference in Delhi that "even minorities" had voted in favour of the party.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the "illegal mining factor" seemed to have turned the tide in the BJP's favour.
Congratulating Parrikar, Singhvi said, "We will introspect deeply and will have an inquiry."
BJP spokesman Vishnu Surya Wagh, who won in St Andre constituency, said that people had voted for change. He said the two allies will meet to decide when to stake claim to form the government.
"It is a statement by the people that they want a clean government. It's our responsibility to give good governance," he said. Vishwajit Rane, former health minister from Congress, said that it is collective responsibility of the party.
"We can't blame one or another, this or that factor. It was responsibility of individual candidates to win their seats," he said.
In Salcette, which is a Congress bastion, Congress won two seats out of eight. BJP, which had fielded several Catholic candidates, managed to get a hold in Salcette. Catholic candidates like Matanhy Saldanha, Michael Lobo, Glen Ticlo, Carlose Almeida defeated stalwarts. Congress' Goa chief Subhas Shirodkar suffered defeat at the hands of BJP s Mahadev Naik in Shiroda constituency
Eight incumbent cabinet ministers lose polls:
Eight of the 11 Cabinet ministers who contested the Assembly elections have had to bite the dust after a massive anti-incumbency wave knocked out the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance, results of the vote-count showed Tuesday.
Among the key candidates to lose the polls are home minister Ravi Naik (Ponda), public works department minister Churchill Alemao (Navelim), power minister Aleixo Sequeira (Nuvem), urban development minister Joaquim Alemao (Cuncolim), forest minister Filipe Neri (Velim) and Babu Azgaonkar (Pernem), all from the Congress.
The two nationalist Congress party (NCP) ministers, Jose Philip D'Souza (Vasco) and Nilkanth Halarnkar (Thivim) have lost the polls. The NCP, which fielded seven candidates, is yet to open its account in the elections.
The only Cabinet ministers to have won the elections are chief minister Digambar Kamat, health minister Vishwajit Rane and education minister Atanasio Monserrate.
The only other minister in the Kamat-led 12-member cabinet was transport minister Sudin Dhavalikar, a member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which aligned with the BJP in a pre-poll alliance.
'Family raj' works against Congress:
'Family raj', a major issue in the Goa polls, worked against the Congress as three of the candidates from Alemao family - Churchil Aleamo (Navelim), his bother Joaquim (Cuncolim) and daughter Valanka suffered defeat in Benaulim.
Similarly, Congress MLA Pandurang Madkaikar's brother Daku Madkaikar contesting from Priol also suffered defeat at the hands of MGP.
Winners among BJP:
BJP leaders who won included Ganesh Gaonkar from Sanvordem, Mahadev Naik from Siroda, Kiran Kandolkar from Tivim and Anant Shet from Maem. Ramesh Tawadkar and Nilesh Cabral are other party leaders leading from their respective constituencies.
BJP managed to gain seats in most of the Congress dominated constituencies like Aldona, Calangute, Sanvordem, Tivim, Vasco, Cotalim, Curchorem and others.
MGP President Dipak Dhavalikar said the combination will stake claim to form the government. "We will form the government in the next two days," he said, adding BJP's Manohar Parrikar is the preferred chief ministerial candidate.
With additional information from PTI####
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