After the 2017 mishap, when Congress could not form a government in Goa despite winning 17 seats due to defections of MLAs, the party this time made its MLAs take anti-defection oaths before the Assembly polls. The MLAs were also moved to a plush resort on Tuesday, ahead of counting day. In the last five years, a total of 16 MLAs resigned from the Congress. Here’s a look at where they are now:
Vishwajit Rane, the son of Goa’s former Chief Minister and Congress veteran Pratapsingh Rane, had resigned from the Congress post the 2017 Goa polls to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. Mr. Rane was given the health portfolio in the ruling BJP’s Cabinet and is now contesting for the party from the Valpoi constituency, a bastion of the Rane family. Early trends showed Mr. Rane securing a comfortable lead in his constituency.
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Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monsrrate, the politician reportedly known to have set up the defection of 10 Congress MLAs, including himself to the BJP in 2019, is currently contesting for the BJP from Panaji, against Utpal Parrikar, the son of former Goa CM and late BJP leader Manohar Parrikar. Described as a strongman in Goa politics, Mr. Monserrate had an identical incident of defection in 2005, when he, along with two other MLAs had resigned from Manohar Parrikar’s cabinet, which brought the BJP government down. Mr. Monserrate is currently leading in Panaji as per trends, while Utpal Parrikar trails.
Jennifer Monserrate, the wife of Atanasio Monserrate, had also resigned from the Congress in 2019 to join the BJP and was made the Revenue and IT Minister in the Pramod Sawant Cabinet. Two-term winner for the Congress from the Taleigao constituency, she is currently leading in the constituency on a BJP ticket, as per early trends.
Luizhino Faleiro, a former two-term Goa CM and Congress stalwart known for making formation of governments possible for the Congress in multiple northeastern states, had quit the party in 2021 to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC), over the Congress's failure to form the government in 2017. Initially, he was supposed to contest for the TMC from the Fatorda constituency but the party decided in January that his ticket would be given to legal activist Seoula Vas, as part of the party’s women empowerment policy.
Alexio Laurenco, who had won two-terms in the Curtorim constituency, quit the party in 2021 to Join the TMC. Interestingly, he quit the TMC soon after to contest the current Assembly polls as an independent candidate from Curtorim, where he is now leading as per trends.
Antonio Fernandes, who had also left Congress in 2019, is now fighting from the St. Cruz constituency on a BJP ticket. He is trailing behind Congress candidate Rudolfo Fernandes. Congress has not lost the St. Cruz seat since 1999.
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Subhash Shirodkar, who has always fought from the Shiroda constituency, won all terms except for two, quit the Congress in 2018 to join the BJP. He is currently leading in Siroda on a BJP ticket, against Mahadev Naik, the only candidate to defeat him twice in Siroda. A BJP turncoat, Mr. Naik is now contesting Siroda on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket.
Nilkanth Halarnkar, who also left in 2019 to join the BJP, is currently leading in the Tivim constituency on a BJP ticket.
Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, who was the Congress’s Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly, before he quit in 2019, was given multiple portfolios in the BJP cabinet, including Town and Country Planning, and Agriculture. He is now trailing in the Quepem constituency on a BJP ticket, with Congress’s Altone D’ Costa taking the lead.
Ravi Naik, former Goa CM, had quit the Congress in December 2021, ahead of the current polls, to rejoin the BJP after 19 years. He had joined the BJP in 2000 and served as Deputy CM under Manohar Parrikar. Later in 2002, he had quit the BJP to join the Congress. He is currently trailing in the Ponda constituency for the BJP, behind the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party Candidate Ketan Bhatikar.
Dayanand Sopte, who is currently trailing in the Mandrem constituency on a BJP ticket, had left the Congress in 2018. Mr. Sopte had left along with Mr. Shirodkar on Union Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah’s insistence. Mr. Sopte was made a member of the Goa Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation.
Isidore Fernandes, had exited the Congress with 10 MLA’s in 2019 to join the BJP, which made him the Deputy Speaker of the Goa Assembly. He quit the Saffron party in January this year, after being denied a ticket to the Canacona constituency. Contesting as an independent candidate, he is now trailing in Canacona, behind BJP’s Ramesh Tawadkar.
Wilfred D’Sa, who had quit the Congress in 2019 to join the BJP, quit the BJP in January this year, hours before the party released its list of candidates. He is now contesting from the Nuvem constituency as an independent candidate. While quoting the BJP, he had stated that Nuvem is a Catholic-dominated constituency and there is no vote for the Saffron party.
Clafasio Dias, who had won the Congress the Cuncolim constituency in 2017 by defeating a BJP candidate, had quit the party in 2019 to join the BJP. He is currently trailing in Cuncolim for the BJP, behind Congress candidate Alemao Yuri. Mr. Dias is one of the 12 Catholic candidates fielded by the pro-Hindutva party this time.
Francisco Silveira, who had won the Congress a hattrick of terms from the St. Andre constituency in 1999, 2002 and 2007, followed by another win in 2017, quit the party in 2019 to join the BJP. He is now running on a BJP ticket and trailing behind a Revolutionary Goan’s Party Candidate.
Filipe Neri Rodrigues, who had also won the Congress four terms except for 2012, in the Velim constituency, had joined the BJP in 2019. He was made the Water Resources Minister in the Goa Cabinet. The politician quit the BJP at the last minute in January this year, and is now running from Velim on a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ticket.
