The Congress, which won 17 seats in the last Assembly election held in 2017 but was left with only two MLAs when the term ended, secured 11 seats. Its alliance partner – the Goa Forward Party – however could retain only one seat while losing the other two.
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which had contested 13 seats while joining hands with the All India Trinamool Congress, could win only two seats. Though the party won by defeating the BJP candidates, it has now given a letter of support to the BJP government.
The Trinamool Congress contested 26 seats but won none.
However, two parties entered the Goa Assembly for the first time – the Aam Aadmi Party and the Revolutionary Goans Party.
The AAP contested 39 seats and won two, both from Salcete taluka, the Congress stronghold otherwise: Venzy Viegas (Benaulim) and Cruz Silva (Velim).
Similarly, the RGP also contested 38 seats and managed to win one, once again in the Congress stronghold. Viresh Borkar in St Andre in Tiswadi taluka.
Besides this, three independents made it to the Assembly: former Congress MLA Alex Reginaldo Lourenco (Curtorim), Anton Vaz (Cortalim) and Dr Chandrakant Shetye (Bicholim). All three of them have now supported the BJP government.
After a long time, the Goa Assembly this time would have three women MLAs: ex-minister Jennifer Monserrate (BJP) as well as new entrants Dr Deviya Rane (BJP) and Delialah Lobo (Congress).
The ‘Imported Wine’
The ruling BJP, which was on a sticky wicket, managed to win 20 out of 40 seats. Twelve among them have been imported from the Congress as well as the MGP, besides two independents.
ORIGINAL AND ‘IMPORTED’ BJP MEN & WOMEN
| FROM CONG | FROM MGP | FROM IND | BJP CADRE | TOTAL | CHRISTIANS |
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 5 |
The former Congressmen elected on the BJP ticket are Mauvin Godinho (second term) as well as Subhash Shirodkar (Shiroda) and Vishwajit Rane (Valpoi), who had resigned from the Congress after 2017 election and were re-elected on the BJP ticket in the bye-election.
Three among the 10 Congress MLAs who had also defected after Manohar Parrikar’s sad demise have been re-elected: Babush Monserrate (Panaji) by defeating Utpal Manohar Parrikar (Independent), his wife and former minister Jennifer Monserrate (Taleigao) as well as Nilkanth Halarnkar (Tivim).
Ravi Naik (Ponda), the former chief minister, who had resigned from the Congress on the eve of this election, is re-elected as the BJP MLA, but with a slander margin of only 77 votes. In contrast, Dr Deviya Rane (Poriem), the wife of Vishwajit Rane, won by securing the highest margin of 13,943 votes. This seat was otherwise held by her father-in-law Pratapsing Rane, the former chief minister of the Congress. He retired from active politics.
The BJP had also imported two more candidates from the MGP, after the regional party had announced their candidature: Pravin Arlekar (Pernem) and Premendra Shet (Mayem). Both of them are the BJP MLAs now.
In addition, two independent MLAs Rohan Khaunte (Porvorim) and Govind Gaude (Priol) had resigned. They are also now re-elected on the BJP ticket.
Leaving these 12, only eight candidates from the BJP cadres were elected to the Goa Assembly this time. They include chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant (Sanklhi) by only 666 votes, minister Nilesh Cabral (Curchorem), MLA Joshua D’Souza as well as former BJP MLAs Ramesh Tawadkar (Canacona), Ganesh Gaonkar (Sanvordem) and Subhash Phalidesai (Sanguem). There are also two fresh faces from the cadre: Daji Salkar (Vasco) and Ulhas Tuenkar (Navelim).
The legacy of the Hindutva party in Goa of getting Christian candidates elected continued even in this election. After six in 2012 and seven in 2017, this time the party has five Christian MLAs: Mauvin Godinho, Nilesh Cabral, Joshua D’Souza, Babush Monserrate and Jennifer Monserrate.
The BJP has come back to power, but by getting its 11 legislators defeated. The ruling party had contested all the 40 seats.
Its defeated candidates include two deputy chief ministers: Babu Kavalekar (Quepem) and Babu Azgaonkar (Madgao), Speaker Rajesh Patnekar (Bicholim), minister Milind Naik as well as six MLAs: Dayanand Sopte (Mandrem), Glenn Ticlo (Aldona), Jayesh Salgaocar (Saligao), Tony Fernandes (St Cruz), Francis Silveira (St Andre) and Clefacio Dias (Cuncolim). Jenita Madkaikar (Cumbarjua), wife of ailing BJP MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, also lost.
Former MLAs fail to impress
Almost 33 former legislators failed to impress the electorate and stage a comeback to the Goa Assembly. It included 19 legislators from the Assembly of immediate past as well as 14 legislators, who had represented before the 2017 Assembly poll. Some of them were honoured by their parties with tickets while most of them tried their luck either from other parties or as independents.
The only ex-MLAs of the past (before 2017), who staged a comeback were three from the BJP and one from the Congress: BJP: Ramesh Tawadkar (Canacona), Subhash Phaldesai (Sanguem) and Ganesh Gaonkar (Sanvordem). Congress: Alex Sequeira (Nuvem).
FORMER MLAs WHO LOST ELECTION
| PARTY | 2017 MLAs | PAST MLAs | TOTAL |
| BJP | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| Congress | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Trinamool | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| NCP | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| AAP | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| MGP | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Independent | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 19 | 14 | 33 |
The former MLAs who lost miserably are as follows:
BJP (12): Dayanand Sopte (Mandrem), Rajejsh Patnekar (Bicholim), Pravin Zantye (Mayem), Glenn Ticlo (Aldona), Jayesh Salgaonkar (Saligao), Francisco Silveira (St Andre), Milind Naik (Mormugao), Clefacio Dias (Cuncolim), Babu Azgaonkar (Madgao), Babu Kavalekar (Quepem), Damu Naik (Fatorda) and Dayanand Mandrekar (Siolim)
Congress (4): Carlos Almeida (Vasco), Prasad Gaonkar (Sanguem), Avertano Furtado (Navelim) and Lavoo Mamledar (Madkai).
Trinamool (4): Churchill Alemao (Benaulim), Kiran Kandolkar (Aldona), Victor Gonslaves (St Cruz), and Benjamin Silva (Velim).
MGP (2): Deepak Dhavalikar (Priol) and Naresh Sawal (Bicholim).
AAP (2): Alina Saldanha (Cortalim) and Mahadev Naik (Shiroda).
NCP (3): Filipe Nery Rodrigues (Velim), Jose Philip D’Souza (Dabolim) and Mickky Pacheco (Nuvem).
Independents (6): Vinod Palayekar (Siolim), Wilfred D’Sa (Nuvem), Deepak Pauskar (Sanvordem), Isidore Fernandes (Canacona), Laxmikant Parsekar (Mandrem), and Vijay Pai Khot (Canacona).
The Old & the New
The Goa Assembly this time will have 19 new faces: Congress: 8, BJP: 5, AAP: 2, Independents: 2, MGP: 1 and RGP: 1.
OLD, NEW & IMPORTED MLAS
| PARTY | EX-MLA | IMPORTED | NEW FACE | TOTAL |
| BJP | 15 | 12 | 5 | 20 |
| Congress | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 |
| MGP | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| AAP | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| RG | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| IND | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
After it was left with a sole legislator – Digambar Kamat – to contest, the Congress has now won 11 seats. Besides Kamat, former party MLA Alex Sequeira (Nuvem) has also staged a comeback.
The national party had contested 37 seats while the rest of the three were contested by the Goa Forward Party, its alliance partner.
The Congress also ‘imported’ candidates from other parties, especially the BJP. Out of them, ex-minister Michael Lobo (Calangute) and his wife Delialah (Siolim) as well as Kedar Naik (Saligao) won the election.
The ‘imported’ candidates who lost were former BJP MLA Carlos Almeida, independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar as well as Moreno Rebello (Curtorim), who was earlier given the BJP ticket.
The main opposition party in the Assembly has more fresh faces: Delilah Lobo (Siolim) and Kedar Naik (Saligao) imported from the BJP as well as six partymen: Rajesh Phaldesai (Cumbarjua), Yuri Alemao (Cuncolim), Sankalp Amonkar (Mormugao), Alton D’Costa (Quepem), Rudolph Fernandes (St Cruz) and Carlos Fereira (Aldona).
The MGP, besides veteran MLA Sudin Dhavalikar, has also given a fresh face this time: Jit Arolkar (Mandrem).
Both the faces of the AAP are new: Venzy Viegas (Benaulim) and Cruz Silva (Velim).
Viresh Borkar (St Andre) of the RGP is also a fresh face.
Besides three-time MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, the other two independents are also new faces in the Assembly: Anton Vaz (Cortalim) and Dr Chandrakant Shetye (Bicholim).
