Goa by-polls: Parrikar wins Panaji, Vishwajit Rane wins Valpoi for BJP

Agencies
August 28, 2017

Panaji, Aug 28: The ruling BJP today won the by- elections to two assembly seats in Goa, with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar emerging victorious from Panaji and health minister Vishwajit Rane from Valpoi.

It was crucial for the BJP to bag the two seats as it does not enjoy a majority on its own in the 40-member assembly.

Parrikar, who returned to the state from the Centre after the assembly elections in February, defeated his nearest rival, Congress's Girish Chodankar, by 4,803 votes.

As per the final results announced this morning, Parrikar polled 9,862 votes against 5,059 by Chodankar.

Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) president Anand Shirodkar polled 220 votes, while 301 people pressed None of The Above (NOTA) button in the August 23 election.

Chodankar, a senior leader of the Goa Congress, is a close aide of party vice president Rahul Gandhi.

Parrikar, who had been getting elected from Panaji constituency since 1994, had resigned in November 2014 to join the Union Cabinet as Defence Minister.

BJP leader Sidharth Kuncolienkar, who won the subsequent by-poll from Panaji and retained the seat in the 2017 elections, stepped down to make way for Parrikar who returned to the state in March and formed a coalition government.

Parrikar said he was happy with the margin of his victory. "I am thankful to the people of Panaji who elected me. It's a repeat of the 2012 assembly elections," he said, attributing the result to his performance and connection with the people.

Chodankar said he was grateful to the people of Panaji for their "love and affection". "I might have lost but I have made a place in the hearts of the people of Panaji," he said.

BJP candidate and health minister Vishwajit Rane retained his Valpoi seat by defeating his nearest rival Roy Naik of the Congress by 10,066 votes. Rane had resigned as MLA after leaving the Congress.

With today's results, the BJP's strength in the House rises to 14. The Congress has 16 MLAs, Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) three each, NCP one, while three are independent. The BJP-led coalition comprises GFP, MGP and the three independents. 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 2,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 2: BJP leader and Karnataka cabinet minister BS Sriramulu's daughter Rakshita's wedding will take place with Sanjeev Reddy here on March 5. The nine-day function will cost crores of rupees.

For the wedding, decorations and arrangements are being done at Sriramulu's home here.

The reception will take place in Bengaluru Palace Ground on March 5.

"I couldn't invite you all in person but I tried to welcome you all. Through the media, I am again inviting you all. We are not performing a pretentious wedding. I invite you all on March 5 at Palace Ground," Sriramulu said.

After BJP leader Janardhan Reddy's daughter's marriage in Bengaluru Palace Ground, the marriage of Sriramulu's daughter is being considered one of the costliest marriages in Karnataka's history.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 28,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 28: A man from Kerala was among the terrorists affiliated to Islamic State (IS) who allegedly attacked a Gurdwara in Kabul earlier this week in which 27 people were killed.

The IS has claimed that one of the suicide bombers was Abu Khalid al-Hindi.

According to sources, investigation agencies on Friday have identified him as 29-year-old Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal of Padne in Kasargod. He was among the 14 persons, who left from Kerala to join IS in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

"IS had released the name Abu Khalid al-Hindi through its media agency soon after the attack. The photograph of him holding a rifle was also published by IS in their propaganda magazine Al Naba. From that, we have identified the person as Mohammed Sajid Kuthirummal. We are investigating the matter and in touch with the investigating agencies in Afghanistan for tracking his trail," sources told ANI.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe had earlier revealed that Mohammed Sajid was recruited by Abdul Rashid Abdulla of Chandera, who was killed in Afghanistan last year.

Sajid worked as a shop keeper in a gulf country and returned to Kerala. Based on a complaint by Sajid's father Mahamood, the FIR was registered at Chendara Police Station, Kasaragod in 2016 regarding Sajid joining IS and leaving for Afghanistan.

He was among the 14 member team that left from Kerala to join IS in Khorasan Province' in Nangarhar.

ANI had earlier reported that two of these members Ayesha alias Sonia Sebastian and Fathima alias Nimisha who were in IS had expressed their interest in returning to Kerala. Out of 14, seven including Sajid is dead.

Comments

Abdul Gaffar Bolar
 - 
Saturday, 28 Mar 2020

First, investigate truly who is behind this? Then hang all of them. 

 

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 27,2020

Jan 27: Bidders for Air India Ltd. will need to absorb $3.26 billion of its debt, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration tries once again to sell the national carrier.

The entire company will be sold but effective control needs to stay with Indian nationals, according to preliminary terms published Monday. Bids are invited by March 17 with Ernst & Young LLP India as transaction adviser.

Air India, which started in 1932 as a mail carrier before winning commercial popularity, saw its fortunes fade with the emergence of cutthroat low-cost competition. The state-run airline has been unprofitable for over a decade and is saddled with more than $8 billion in debt.

Indian regulations allow a foreign airline to buy as much as 49% of a local carrier, while overseas investors other than airlines can buy an entire carrier. The government didn’t find a single bidder when it tried to sell Air India in 2018.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.