The Mormugao assembly constituency is voting in the Goa assembly elections today. The Mormugao assembly constituency election result will be declared along with the Goa election results on March 10. Mormugao is part of the South Goa district and the least populated constituency of the coastal state.
The BJP has rallied behind former urban development minister Milind Shagun Naik and has fielded him from Mormugao assembly segment, also significant because of the Mormugao Port Trust. Naik had to resign from his post due to a scandal involving allegations of sexual misconduct levelled primarily by the Goa Congress. However, he is yet to face formal action in the matter, as there is no criminal case against him.
The Congress, on the other hand, got a shot in the arm with Naik’s resignation and is fielding businessman Sankalp Amonkar, who has two criminal cases registered against him.
In Mormugao, a total of eight candidates are in the poll fray. A total of 15 candidates had filed their nominations, while three were rejected and one had withdrawn. Of the eight candidates, two are in the ‘crorepati’ bracket and two have declared criminal cases in their election affidavit.
Following is the complete candidate list from the Mormugao assembly seat along with details from their 2022 election affidavits as analysed by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR):
Milind Shagun Naik, Bharatiya Janata Party
After the Congress levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against him in December 2021, Naik had to resign from the post of state urban development minister. But the BJP showed that it has his back by fielding him from Mormugao, which is significant because of the port trust. There is, however, no criminal case against him yet with regard to “sex scandal”. He is the only other candidate from the assembly constituency to be under the ‘crorepati’ bracket. According to his election affidavit, the 58-year-old is a Class 12 pass-out and has declared civil contractor along with stevedoring and shore handling as his profession. He has declared Rs 20.7 crore as his total assets, of which Rs 6.9 crore are movable and Rs 13.8 crore are immovable. He has declared Rs 38.9 lakh as his self income and Rs 1.6 crore as liabilities.
Sankalp Amonkar, Indian National Congress
The 46-year-old businessman is a graduate, as per his election affidavit. Amonkar, too, is the other candidate from the constituency in the ‘crorepati’ bracket with Rs 7.5 crore total assets. He has declared two criminal cases. Rs 5.3 crore account for his movable assets while Rs 2.4 crore as immovable. He has liabilities of Rs 3 crore and a self-income of Rs 8.4 lakh.
Jayesh Kashinath Shetgaonkar, All India Trinamool Congress
Shetgaonkar is contesting as a candidate of the TMC, the Mamata Banerjee-led regional party from West Bengal that is making its debut in Goa’s political stage. According to his election affidavit, the 41-year-old has declared his profession as business. A graduate, he has total assets worth Rs 9.3 lakh, which also account for his movable assets. He has declared a liability of Rs 2.1 lakh. He has not declared immovable assets or a criminal case, and has declared a self-income of Rs 5 lakh.
Parashuram Umaji Sonurlekar, Aam Aadmi Party
Sonurlekar is a businessman as per his election affidavit. At 40 years old, he is the youngest candidate in the fray at Mormugao. He is a graduate by educational qualification. He has total assets worth Rs 27.1 lakh, of which Rs 7.1 lakh are movable and Rs 20 lakh are immovable. He has declared Rs 18.7 lakh as liabilities and Rs 2.4 lakh self-income. He has not declared any criminal case.
Xeque Mahmood Acbar, Nationalist Congress Party
According to his election affidavit, Acbar is a businessman and a Class 12 pass-out. The 64-year-old has declared Rs 37.7 lakh total assets, of which Rs 19.7 lakh are movable and Rs 18 lakh immovable. He has Rs 75,450 liability and a self-income of Rs 1.2 lakh.
Paresh Sitaram Toraskar, Revolutionary Goans Party
Toraskar is a Class 12 pass-out and has declared private sector as his profession. The 41-year-old has declared Rs 13.2 lakh total assets, which also account for his movable assets. He has declared liability of Rs 6.9 lakh. He has not declared immovable assets, self-income or any criminal case.
Enayatullah Khan, Independent
Khan is a Class 12 pass-out. The 45-year-old businessman has Rs 5.7 lakh as total assets, which also account for movable assets. He has not declared any immovable asset. She has declared Rs 1.5 lakh as liability and a self-income of Rs 2.2 lakh. He has not declared any criminal case.
Nilesh Mahadev Navelkar, Independent
Navelkar is the only other Mormugao candidate with a criminal record and he has declared one in his election affidavit. The 38-year-old has declared business as his profession and has Rs 11.3 lakh total assets, which also account for his movable assets. He has declared a self income of Rs 5.8 lakh. He has not declared any liability, criminal case or even immovable assets.
The Goa assembly has 40 seats in all, with 21 being the majority mark. These 40 Goa constituencies are spread between two districts – North Goa (19 constituencies) and South Goa (21).
In the 2017 Goa elections, the BJP won 13 out of 40 assembly seats with an approximately 32 per cent vote share. The saffron party’s vote share was more than that of the Congress, which got more seats. The grand old party won 17 seats but had vote share of 28 per cent.
According to a report published by ADR, at least 77 candidates in the Goa elections have declared criminal cases against themselves, up from 38 in 2017.
The Goa Election Watch and ADR have reviewed the self-sworn affidavits of all 301 candidates who are contesting in the February 14 assembly polls in the state. Of the candidates studied, 116 are from national parties, 66 are from state parties, 51 are from registered unrecognised parties and 68 candidates are contesting independently.
“Out of 301 candidates analysed, 77 (26%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. In 2017 Goa assembly elections, out of 251 candidates analysed, 38 (15%) had declared criminal cases against themselves,” the report released on Tuesday says.
Further, this time 53 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, up from 19 in 2017.
Among the major parties, 17 out of 37 candidates from Congress, six out of 13 from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, one out of three from Goa Forward Party, four out of 13 from Nationalist Congress Party, and 10 out of 40 from BJP who were all reviewed have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavit. Also, six out of 26 candidates from the TMC and nine out of 39 from the AAP who were analysed have declared criminal cases.
At least 13 candidates from Congress, three from MGP, seven from BJP, two from NCP, and four each from TMC and AAP have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, the report added.
“12 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women. Out of 12 candidates 1 candidate has declared case related to rape (section 376 of Indian Penal Code),” the report said, adding BJP’s Atanasio Monserrate, fielded from Panaji, is facing rape charges.
Eight candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (section 307 of IPC) against themselves, it added. A total of 12 out of the 40 assembly seats in Goa are red-alert constituencies: where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.
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