Goa CM Pramod Sawant leaves for Delhi as election looms; likely to meet BJP chief JP Nadda

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, Goa CM Pramod Sawant left for New Delhi on Sunday morning to meet with the party’s top brass. The poll-bound state CM is likely to meet Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda. Sawant is expected to meet other party leaders and discuss the route to the upcoming state polls.

Earlier, Pramod Sawant had welcomed the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) schedule for the upcoming Goa Assembly elections. Welcoming the dates of the polls, state CM Sawant had expressed full confidence over winning the upcoming polls and continuing BJP rule in the state. He had also welcomed the COVID-19 guidelines announced by the ECI.

Accepting the guidelines and schedule put forth by the ECI, CM Sawant had said, "I welcome ECI announcement. The way ECI has declared dates considering COVID spread I thank him on behalf of Goans. BJP will win with the complete majority in Goa. BJP is always in election mode.”

"Our cadres are always ready for polls. We are fully prepared for polls, we will contest on all the constituencies and win with majority numbers. I welcome EC guidelines on COVID. We are giving more stress on small meets and door to door campaigns," he added further reiterating that the party was confident to face the elections.

Goa Election 2022

Goa elections will be conducted in only one phase, which will fall on February 14. Counting of votes will be held on March 10. The poll dates were announced by Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra at a press conference earlier this month. Notably, while the BJP is the ruling party in Goa, in opposition are Goa Forward Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Congress and debutant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as well as the Trinamool Congress. 

In 2017, Congress had won 17 seats, while the BJP managed to win 13 seats. However, the saffron party staked claim to form the government with the support of 3 GFP MLAs, 3 MGP MLAs and two independent MLAs and an NCP legislator under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar. After he passed away on 17 March 2019, then Assembly speaker Pramod Sawant replaced him as the Chief Minister.

Image: ANI/ PTI