Straight fight in Valpoi bye-poll
PTI, PANAJI | 04 October 2010 22:34 IST
Congress and BJP are in a straight fight in Valpoi by-elections which are scheduled on October 18.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane of Congress, whose resignation as Independent MLA has forced this bye-election, will contest against BJP's Santosh Haldankar.
The Valpoi constituency is located 50 kms away North-East of Panaji.
Dipaji Rane, a BJP office bearer, had flung surprise by filing his form as an Independent candidate.
Returning officer for bye-poll, Raju Gawas, told PTI that Dipaji has withdrawn his nomination today, the last day for withdrawal.
The bye-election is necessitated here after Rane, who had got elected as an Independent candidate, had resigned as MLA to join Congress last month. Rane is a Health Minister in Digamber Kamat cabinet.
On the other hand, BJP was left in the lurch after its leader Puti Gaonkar, who had contested against Vishwajeet during 2007 general polls, joined hands with the health minister.
The BJP has now fielded Santosh Haldankar, a businessman whose elder brother Narahari Haldankar had represented this constituency before Vishwajeet won it.
The constituency has 17,824 voters and for 2007 polls, 79.25 per cent voters had exercised their right.
Any vaccuum naturally created should be okay for a bye-election to be held. Wasting money (while the poor go hungry) on a game show such as this is criminal. Just because the Congress wants to strengthen itself to power-21 and be stable is not right. The anti-defection law should be revised making those who quit ineligible to re-contest for a period not less than 5 years as a penalty or if a party induces him or her to do so, to defray the expenditure of the re-election, incurred by the government.
Well said ....