Congress-MGP fixing in Mandrem, Shiroda: CM Pramod Sawant

PANAJI: In an attack on Congress’

Lok Sabha

candidates, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said Congress’ North Goa candidate Girish Chodankar will once again taste defeat after losing Fatorda and

Panaji

bypolls, while Francisco Sardinha, who was denied ticket by his party in 2014 due to his inefficiency, will meet the same fate.

In Mandrem, Sawant said, Congress and MGP are confused on whom to support. “MGP has supported Congress in

Mapusa

. I don’t know if they will support an independent in Mandrem. I don’t know if a Congress candidate is being made a scapegoat. I heard that there is some fixing happening at the top level,” he said. “In Shiroda as well there is some fixing, but we are confident that

Subhash Shirodkar

will win.”

BJP has completed its first round of campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls and the byelections “systematically” and is 100% confident of winning all five seats, Sawant told reporters.

Sawant said if one looks at Chodankar, it appears that Congress was unable to find an appropriate candidate in the North. “Congress has imported a candidate from South Goa to contest North Goa elections. Once again, he can contest byelection in Panaji. We want Chodankar to contest from Panaji and will defeat him again,” Sawant said.

On Lok Sabha elections in South Goa, the chief minister said incumbent MP Narendra Sawaikar is just 51 years old, while Congress’ Sardinha is 74. . “Last time Congress had given ticket to dynamic Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and made it clear that Sardinha is inefficient. So I don’t understand why he was given the ticket again.” Sawant said Sardinha has not connected with the people in the last five years, unlike Sawaikar.