Goa Congress chief Girish ChodankarPhoto : ANIPanaji: Congress will not let the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “manipulate” the people’s mandate in Goa this time, said state party chief Girish Chodankar following the announcement of exit poll results on Monday.He also hinted at all the Congress leaders assembling in some hotel till the final results are announced in the coastal state.Earlier today, several independent organisations and news agencies predicted a hung verdict in Goa. As per the Poll of Polls, BJP is likely to get 16 seats and Congress 14.It should be noted that there are 40 Assembly seats in Goa and any party requires at least 21 seats to breach the majority mark and form a government.Reacting to the exit poll results, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar said, “If candidates want then all candidates can sit together (in a hotel). People of Goa are telling us to stay together and don’t give any chance to BJP to do something.”
If candidates want then all candidates can sit together (in a hotel). People of Goa are telling us to stay together… t.co/qYOLLp0cKO— ANI (@ANI) Mar 7, 2022″We have taken all precautions to not let BJP manipulate people’s mandate,” he added.The Congress wants to avert a repeat of the 2017 fiasco in Goa, when the party failed to take power despite emerging single largest in the election.The Congress won 17 of 40 seats in Goa in the 2017 election but the BJP, after winning 13 seats, took power with help from smaller parties and independents.Two years later, 15 Congress MLAs switched to the BJP, led by the Congress’s leader of opposition, Babu Kavlekar, who was made Deputy Chief Minister by the BJP.Related NewsGoa Election 2022: Open to alliance with AAP, MGP and TMC, says Congress ahead of polls results