Goa Polls: Congress Releases First List Of Candidates, Ex-CM Digambar Kamat To Contest From Margao

Last month, Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar had said that a bulk of the nominees would be young and new.

Former Goa CM Digambar Kamat (Getty Images)

New Delhi: The Congress party on Thursday announced its first list of candidates for the Goa assembly election slated to take place early next year.

As per the list of eight candidates announced, former chief minister Digambar Kamat is set to contest from Margao.

The candidates selected by the Congress party's Central Election Committee for the forthcoming Goa Assembly election include:

Candidate	Seat
Sudhir Kanolkar	Mapusa
Tony Rodrigues	Taleigao
Rajesh Verenkar	Ponda
Sankalp Amonkar	Marmugao
Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco	Curtorim
Digambar Vasant Kamat	Margao
Yuri Alemao	Cuncolim
Altone D'Costa	Quepem

Last month, Goa Pradesh Congress president Girish Chodankar had said that a bulk of the nominees would be young and new. He had also iterated that MLAs who had defected and joined other parties will not be considered.

"The process of short-listing candidates for the Goa polls will gather momentum as the AICC has announced a screening committee for Goa. At least 70 to 80 per cent of Congress' candidates will be young and new," he had said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Chodankar had also informed block committees of the party will be taken into confidence while deciding the candidates.

Assembly election in Goa is yet to be announced by the Election Commission. It is likely to take place early next year.

Meanwhile, during her recent visit to Goa, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra promised 30 per quota in jobs for women if her party came to power in the coastal state.

Claiming that the ruling BJP's ideology was "anti-women", she assured that Congress government would provide a grant of up to Rs 1 lakh each to Women Self Help Groups besides initial funding so that their business could flourish, and help market their products.

The Congress, when voted to power in the state, will reserve 30 per cent of the jobs only for women, she declared.

(With Agency Inputs)