BJP will win both LS seats in Goa: CM Sawant

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win both the North Goa and South Goa Lok Sabha seats in the coastal state.

The BJP has fielded sitting MP Shripad Naik from North Goa seat and Pallavi Dempo as its candidate from South Goa.

The opposition Congress has announced the names of former Union minister Ramakant Khalap and Viriato Fernandes as its candidates for the North and South Goa seats, respectively.

The South Goa seat is currently held by Francisco Sardinha of the Congress.

"The BJP candidates have been receiving an overwhelming response from the people due to which the party will win the North Goa seat by a margin of one lakh votes and South Goa by 60,000 votes," CM Sawant told reporters at Mapusa near Panaji on Saturday.

The people have faith in the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre, he said adding the BJP has completed two rounds of campaigning in both the parliamentary constituencies in the state.

Goa BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade said, "Voters have seen what work the Modi-led government has done at the Centre. We are sure of winning both the seats with huge margins."

The BJP will release its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Goa in next eight to ten days, he added.

The Lok Sabha polls in Goa will be held in a single phase on May 7, and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.