Goa Assembly Election 2022 Updates

Access detailed historical insights and expert analysis on Goa Assembly elections here.

February 2022

• 14 Feb: Elections for the 40 Assembly seats were conducted today. The total voter turnout was 79% as per the figures released by the EC.
• 10 Feb: PM Narendra Modi addressed a public gathering in Goa's Mapusa and used the occasion to launch a scathing attack on the Opposition parties and highlight BJP as the right choice to take Goa forward for the next 5 years. He said that the BJP government had given the mantra of a 'Swayampurna' or a 'self-sufficient' Goa and that Goa for the BJP stood for 'Governance, Opportunities, Aspirations' while other political parties were treating Goa only as a launchpad for their own ambitions.
• 08 Feb: The Goa government declared February 14 as a Public Holiday to allow people to come out and vote for the Assembly elections scheduled on the day. The government has also directed that the holiday should be considered a paid holiday for all government and private establishments in the state.
• 08 Feb: The BJP released its party manifesto for the upcoming Goa Assembly elections. The promises include making Goa a USD 50 billion economy in the next 10 years, restoration of mining activities, ceiling on taxes on petrol and diesel, completely eliminating “multidimensional poverty” in the state, increasing the old-age pension under DDSSY (Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana) to ₹3,000 per month, providing three free cooking gas cylinders a year to all households, making Goa carbon-neutral, launching Mission Gold Coast to promote sports infrastructure, home loans for deserving families at low interest rates (2% for women and 4% for men), introducing a homestay scheme (for promoting tourism) that will provide an interest-free loan of ₹5 lakh to residents of Goa, and transforming Goa into the country’s health and wellness hub and making it a premier destination for co-working spaces and remote working.
• 04 Feb: Rahul Gandhi, while on a visit to Goa, released the Congress party's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections. The key highlight of the manifesto was the resumption of mining activities, a key source of revenue for Goa. The mining activities had stopped in March 2018 after the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases. In addition, the party promised implementation of the ‘Nyay Scheme’ under which ₹500 crore from the government fund would be allocated for employment generation, ₹6,000 would be transferred to poor families every month, in addition to a 30% reservation for women in government jobs. The party also promised to cap the price of petrol and diesel at ₹80 per litre and subsidise any further hikes from government funds.
• 04 Feb: As part of its outreach to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Goa, Arvind Kejriwal announced free education, free medical treatment, and priority on jobs to the members of the ST community if elected to power in the state. The promises were part of AAP's 8-point action plan which also includes allocation of 12.5% of the total state budget for the welfare of the ST community under the Tribal Sub Plan, monthly allowance of ₹1,000 to ST women, and ₹3,000 to unemployed youth.

• 04 Feb: After stung with its worst defection in Goa, Congress decided to take a leaf out of AAP's book. Similar to AAP's loyalty pledge 2 days ago, 37 Congress candidates took a ‘loyalty pledge’ in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. Three candidates of Congress’ alliance partner, GFP also took the ‘loyalty pledge.’ The 40 candidates vowed not to defect to other parties after being elected and remaining in the party until the completion of their 5-year term.

• 02 Feb: Determined to prove that it means serious business, all 40 candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party in Goa have signed an affidavit promising to remain loyal to the party, and work honestly if elected. "The biggest problem with Goa's politics is the frequent defections. We want to weed it out even before people vote for our candidates. All of our candidates are honest but this affidavit is needed to assure voters that these candidates are honest," AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal told reporters. The affidavits are legally enforceable and are expected to go a long way in convincing the electorate of its intentions, feel the AAP workers.

January 2022

• 31 Jan: The Election Commission extended the ban on roadshows, pad-yatras, cycle/bike/vehicle rallies, and processions till February 11. However, it has given some relaxation in the number of people allowed at meetings and door-to-door campaigns. From the earlier limit of 500, a maximum of 1,000 people will now be permitted for physical public meetings in designated open spaces. Instead of 10 persons, now 20 persons, excluding security personnel, will be allowed for door-to-door campaigns.
• 31 Jan: In keeping with its promise earlier, Shiv Sena withdrew its candidate from Goa's Panaji assembly constituency and threw its support behind former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal, who is contesting the election as an independent candidate after being denied the Panaji seat by the BJP.
• 30 Jan: The Trinamool Congress and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party released their common manifesto for the upcoming Goa Assembly polls. The key promises made in the joint manifesto were - resumption of environmentally sustainable mining with 80 percent reservation for Goans, two fast track courts to address crimes against women and children, a mobile app for women's safety, boosting Goa's GSDP to ₹1.8 lakh crore from the existing ₹0.71 lakh crore, creating 2,00,000 new jobs with 80 percent reservation for Goans and 10,000 vacancies in the government sector to be filled in three years.
• 28 Jan: Trinamool Congress Vice-President Luizinho Faleiro announced his withdrawal as the Trinamool candidate from Goa's Fatorda constituency for the upcoming Assembly polls in favor of Seoula Avilia Vas. "My earlier experience says that when I fought the election last time, we could not do justice to them. To replace me, we have a very able Flora, who will represent the Fatorda constituency," he said.
• 27 Jan: After being snubbed for a ticket to contest from the Panaji constituency, Utpal Parrikar, the son of former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar filed his nomination papers from Panaji as an independent candidate. He will take on sitting MLA Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate, who was chosen over him by the BJP for the Panaji contest. Manohar Parrikar, a three-time Chief Minister of Goa, died in 2019 and had held the Panaji seat for 25 years.

LIVE: All Congress Candidates take pledge that they will remain loyal to the electorate & party and will not defect. #PledgeOfLoyalty https://t.co/wlO5SP4Ht2

— Goa Congress (@INCGoa) January 22, 2022

• 23 Jan: Congress candidates visited different religious places and took a pledge of "loyalty" towards the people of Goa and the party.
• 21 Jan: : Utpal Parrikar, the son of three-time Goa Chief Minister and former Union Minister Manohar Parrikar, resigned from the BJP after repeated attempts to secure a ticket to contest from the Panaji seat in the coming assembly elections failed. "I tried my best even during last and this election to convince my party that I enjoyed not only the support of all the party members, I also enjoy the support of general people of Panaji. Despite that, I am unable to get the candidature of Panaji constituency. It has been given to someone who has opportunistically come in the party in the last two years. That's why I want to go ahead and let the people of Panaji decide my political fate," he said while also confirming that he would contest as an Independent candidate.
• 21 Jan: Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee said the blame for Congress' debacle in the Goa elections and its failure to stop the BJP from winning would lie squarely on the shoulders of Congress' Goa polls in-charge P. Chidambaram. TMC has made no bones of its anger and frustration at Congress' rejection of an alliance for the Goa elections. "Mamata Banerjee had given a call for like-minded people to forge an alliance. MGP (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party) came forward and formed an alliance with TMC but the rest of the parties were busy propagating that TMC is dividing votes," Abhishek Banerjee said. Mr. Chidambaram has refused to accept the responsibility for the delay or the decision for rejecting the alliance saying that no formal offer of an alliance was made to him in the first place. In defence, TMC national vice president Pawan Varma in one of his media interactions yesterday said, "I met Mr. Chidambaram in Delhi on December 24, at 1.30 pm. During that meeting, I made a concrete proposal that in order to strengthen the opposition space, the Trinamool and the Congress should form an alliance. I am dismayed, disappointed, and also surprised at the manner in which Mr Chidambaram, a senior Congress leader who has been Finance Minister and Home Minister, is attempting to mislead people through a statement on public TV that is far removed from the truth".
• 19 Jan: "Unreasonable demands for seat share" by the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party was claimed as the primary reason by the Congress for not forming an alliance for the upcoming Goa assembly elections. However, the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party hold the Congress responsible for not taking forward its Maha Vikas Aghadi (the trio of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra) alliance in Goa. Congress is currently only in alliance with Goa Forward Party.

I'm guaranteeing you a Corruption-free Goa.

We will get back Goa's lost glory, A Goa everyone dreamt of.

I'll keep every word that I've said. That's a GUARANTEE!

- AAP CM Face @AmitPalekar10 #AAPKaCM pic.twitter.com/M3UMxjZMuM

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 19, 2022

• 19 Jan: Lawyer and social worker Amit Palekar was announced as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s chief ministerial candidate for Goa. The announcement was made in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and MLA Atishi. Mr. Palekar hails from the OBC Bhandari community which accounts for approx. 30-35 percent of Goa's population. He claimed corruption and unemployment to be the biggest issues in Goa given that two out of three people of the state are unemployed due to rampant corruption in the government. Pitching his party as grounded and well connected with the voters, he was confident that AAP would form the next government in the state.
• 17 Jan: "My assessment that the AAP (and the TMC) will only fracture the non-BJP vote in Goa has been confirmed by Mr Arvind Kejriwal. The contest in Goa is between Congress and BJP. Those who want a regime change (after 10 years of misrule) will vote for the Congress. Those who want the regime to continue will vote for the BJP. The choice before the voter in Goa is stark and clear. Do you want a regime change or not? I appeal to the voters of Goa to vote for a regime change and vote Congress," Mr Chidambaram said in a series of tweets. The tweets were in response to Arvind Kejriwal's comments yesterday that his party was ready to be part of a coalition government in Goa if the February 14 assembly elections threw up a fractured mandate. To Chidambaram's rejection of any post-poll alliance with AAP, Arvind Kejriwal responded by another tweet, "stop crying that your votes have been cut. Goans will vote where they see hope. Cong is hope for BJP, not Goans. 15 of ur 17 MLAs switched to BJP."
• 16 Jan: A month after switching over to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from the Congress and just weeks ahead of the assembly elections, former Goa MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco quit the TMC. Prior to quitting the Congress and the state assembly in December, Mr Lourenco was the MLA from Curtorim and was the working president of the Goa Congress. He did not give any reason in the letter that he sent to Mamata Banerjee informing her of his decision to leave the Trinamool. The move instantly prompted an invitation from BJP-turned-Congress leader Micheal Lobo for him to return to the Congress.
• 16 Jan: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said his party will welcome Utpal Parrikar, son of former Goa chief minister late Manohar Parrikar, if he is willing. Utpal Parrikar was reported to be keen to get the BJP's ticket for the Panaji Assembly seat which his father had represented for more than two decades. Recently, BJP's Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis had targeted Utpal Parrikar, saying that being the son of a former leader was not enough to qualify him for the BJP's ticket.
• 16 Jan: Arvind Kejriwal of the AAP unveiled his party's 13-point agenda for Goa. The poll manifesto, which Kejriwal termed as the 'Goa model' promises free electricity of up to 300 units, resumption of mining activities within six months of coming to power, jobs for all, unemployment allowance of ₹3,000 per month to Goan youth until they get work, free education, free water supply, uninterrupted power supply, free medical services to all, good roads, ₹1,000 per month allowance to every woman above 18 years of age, resolution of farmers' problems and the issues concerning land rights. The benefits by way of different schemes would add up to ₹10 lakh in five years that every Goan family would get if AAP were to come to power, he said.

• 16 Jan: Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut announced that his party would contest the upcoming Goa Assembly elections in alliance with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Speaking to ANI, he said, "Shiv Sena and NCP will contest together in Goa assembly elections. There will be a discussion on seat sharing on January 18. NCP's senior leader Praful Patel will discuss seat-sharing formula in Goa on January 18. Only after that, it will be clear who will contest how many seats. Political dynamics are different in Maharashtra and Goa. NCP, Shiv Sena, Congress are in alliance in Maharashtra. However, at the moment Congress has decided to contest alone without forming an alliance with any other party in the state."
• 15 Jan: The Congress rejected the Trinamool Congress's offer for an alliance for the assembly polls in Goa. AICC state in charge of Goa, Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "Trinamool's brilliant strategy to defeat BJP in Goa is weakening the Congress and dividing the anti-BJP vote". 
• 14 Jan: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced that it will contest 38 out of the total 40 Assembly seats in the upcoming Goa Assembly elections. It further confirmed that it would not field candidates in the two Christian-dominated constituencies of Benaulim and Nuvem, known to vote for non-BJP candidates. "A formal announcement about the candidates would be made after January 16 when the party's parliamentary board approves the list," he said.
• 13 Jan: Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra lashed out at the Congress, saying that it should realize that its leaders are not "emperors of India". Her opinion of Congress' performance in Goa was also not favourable as she felt that had the grand old party discharged its duty well in Goa, there would have been no need for the Trinamool Congress to fight elections in Goa. She confirmed that TMC remained open for alliance to defeat the BJP but for that, she felt the grand old party would have to "get off its high horse" and wake up to its depleted strength. "The Trinamool is ready for an alliance. We are saying come to the table and talk to us to see how we can defeat the BJP. This is the need of the hour," she said. Her response was in relation to the statement shared by Congress party's P. Chidamabaram's earlier in the day where he mentioned that the Congress and the BJP are the two main contestants in Goa and if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool fielded candidates and secured some votes in the upcoming assembly polls, in effect they would be splitting the non-BJP vote.
• 13 Jan: The Shiv Sena expressed disappointment over the Congress' lack of interest in repeating the Maharashtra coalition experiment in the upcoming Goa Assembly elections. "The Congress has only three MLAs in Goa. The party's MLAs have deserted it en masse. Key political parties, we (Shiv Sena and NCP) had offered to support the Congress in its difficult times. But I don't know what the Congress is thinking. It cannot cross the single-digit mark if it contests alone," Mr. Raut told reporters. Raut said that he had placed a proposal that allowed Congress to contest on 30 of the 40 assembly seats and leave the rest, where Congress has not won elections in the past 50 years, to Shiv Sena, NCP, and Goa Forward Party. He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was favourable to the idea of an alliance but the local Congress leadership did not seem as amenable.
• 10 Jan: Two ministers announced their resignations from the BJP today. MLA Pravin Zantye quit the BJP within hours after Goa minister Michael Lobo saying it is "no longer a party for the common man". Pravin Zantye is the fourth MLA to defect ahead of the state elections. With these 2 resignations, the BJP is now left with 23 MLAs in the 40-member assembly of Goa.

• 09 Jan: BJP's national executive member of Yuva Morcha, Gajanan Tilve, from Shivoli in Panaji formally joined the Congress in the presence of Leader of Opposition, Digamabar Kamat, Goa-In Charge Dinesh Gundu Rao, and others. Besides him, Sanket Parsekar, Vinay Vaingankar, Om Chodankar, Amit Naik, Zeon Dias, Basil Braganza, Nilesh Dhargalkar, Pratik Naik and Nilkanth Naik have also joined Congress. "BJP's motive is to do anything for power. No principle exists in BJP. This party has now changed. This forced me to leave the party and join the Congress. I am hopeful that Congress will win with a majority to form Government," he said. Separately, independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar from Sanguem also resigned as an MLA and is also expected to join the Congress. With his resignation, the strength of the 40-member House has been reduced to 33.
• 08 Jan: The Election Commission announced the dates for Assembly elections in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand. The five states will vote over seven phases starting February 10, with the counting of votes scheduled for March 10. Goa will vote in a single phase on February 14 along with Punjab and Uttarakhand.
• 08 Jan: In compliance with the Supreme Court's directives, Sushil Chandra, the Chief Election Commissioner, mandated all political parties to compulsorily explain the reasons behind the selection of candidates with a criminal record and publish the criminal records of the candidates on the EC website. He also said that "winnability" as reason alone will not suffice and that the citizens had the right to know their candidates.

• 05 Jan: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik resigned from her post and the party to join the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC). She had joined the Congress only two months ago after resigning from the Shiv Sena. "With a heavy heart and after thinking consciously, I have decided to end my short but fruitful inning in @INCGoa. I have sent my resignation to @girishgoa," Ms. Naik said in a tweet. In her resignation letter, she mentioned that she had started to get despondent in Congress owing to the directionless leadership.
• 03 Jan: The All India Bar Association (AIBA) sent a representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) requesting it to defer the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Senior advocate Dr. Adish C Aggarwala, Chairman of AIBA stated that a large number of people gather in election rallies without adhering to the Covid protocols. The representation stated that if the elections in these States are not postponed till Omicron Covid-19 is over, it would lead to the deaths of lakhs of people in India despite the best efforts of the Central and State Governments, similar to what happened during the second wave of Covid-19.

December 2021

• 25 Dec: Five primary members, including former legislator Lavoo Mamlatdar, resigned from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) within three months of joining it. "We had joined the AITC with a hope that it would bring brighter days for Goa and Goans. But it is unfortunate to bring to the notice that AITC has not understood Goa and Goans. AITC move to polarise Hindu votes towards MGP and Catholic votes towards AITC is purely communal in nature. We do not want to continue with a party that is trying to divide Goans. We will not allow AITC and the company managing AITC Goa to break the secular fabric of the state and we shall protect it," as stated in the resignation letter submitted to Mamata Banerjee.
• 21 Dec: Addressing a public rally in Panaji, Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal promised to provide an unemployment allowance of ₹3,000 per month to every youth if his party comes to the power after the state Assembly elections next year. "People in Delhi get free and 24 hours electricity. You ask your friends, relatives in Delhi and if they deny it then don't vote for me. We will give jobs to youth and till they get jobs we will give unemployment allowance of ₹3,000 per month." He also took a swipe at the ruling BJP government by saying "Goa is a first-class state with absolutely third-class politicians. One minister did sex scandal, one did ventilator scam, one did job scam, one minister accused of raping minor and one minister even did a garbage scam. I think Goa deserves much better politicians. What did these parties give you apart from corruption in the last 60 years? Our party will make the first corruption-free government in Goa."
• 18 Dec: Goa Forward Party and Congress announced their alliance ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. "We have said in the past that on the eve of Goa's 60th Liberation Day, we will give you an alliance that will re-liberate Goa from these elected autocracies, said Vijay Sardesai, Goa Forward Party president at a joint press conference in Goa.
• 16 Dec: Goa BJP MLA Alina Saldanha resigned from the state Assembly as well as the party. He claimed the BJP was no longer the same organisation she joined after her husband's death in 2012.

• 13 Dec: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, on a two-day visit to Goa, raised the "Khel Jatlo" slogan while addressing local Trinamool leaders. Terming Goa as a "cute, beautiful and very intelligent" state, she said her party is contesting Goa elections not to control the state or become chief minister, but to use their experience in helping the Goan people. She said that she has a plan for Goa, just the way she had for West Bengal, which will be implemented within six months of TMC coming to power. She also expressed confidence that her party will win the upcoming Assembly elections and asked all those who want to defeat the BJP to support her party.
• 12 Dec: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) confirmed that it will not have any alliance with the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the Goa Assembly elections in 2022. “I say with full responsibility that there will be no alliance with TMC. So, there is no question of any talks with them. We are determined to give Goa a fresh alternative with good candidates and form a honest corruption free government,” Atishi tweeted.

It is a “small” sum for the State of Goa that had an outstanding debt of Rs. 23,473 crore at the end of March 2020.

God bless Goa! Or should it be God save Goa?

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 12, 2021

• 11 Dec: TMC leader and Goa in-charge Mahua Moitra announced a significant cash-transfer scheme for women conditional to her party being voted to power in the coastal state. Under the "Griha Laxmi" scheme, ₹5,000 would be transferred to a woman of every household per month as guaranteed income support to counter inflation for which the party would soon start distributing cards carrying unique identification numbers. She said that the current scheme of the BJP government in Goa provides only ₹1,500 per month to women and covers only 1.5 lakh households due to the income ceiling but TMC's Griha Laxmi scheme would cover 3.5 lakh households and also do away with the maximum income ceiling. Responding to the generous allocation, Mr Chidambaram, who is the Congress' Goa poll in-charge, in a tweet said that this would cost the exchequer ₹2,100 annually which the state, with an outstanding debt of Rs. 23,473 crore could ill-afford.
• 06 Dec: The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) of Sudhin Dhavalikar announced a tie-up with the Trinamool Congress. TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro, who recently quit the Congress and joined the Trinamool Congress, was present at the announcement that concluded the Trinamool Congress' scout for a local ally in Goa.
• 05 Dec: Senior Congress leader and Goa's poll in-charge P. Chidambaram addressed the party workers in Valpoi Assembly constituency and announced changes to Goa's land law if the party was voted to power. He also said that the Congress will restart the iron ore mining industry in Goa. He said the Congress will confer tenancy rights and protect the tenants in respect of the land in their possession through the Protection of Tenancy Rights Act allowing the tenant to cultivate the land and after him, his family to continue cultivating it.
• 03 Dec: Goa Forward Party MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar handed his resignation to Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar. Minutes later, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said "anyone who wants to join BJP is welcome". Immediately thereafter, Goa BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade told reporters that Mr. Jayesh would be joining the BJP. With Mr Salgaonkar's resignation, the strength of the 40-member Goa Assembly has been reduced to 38.