BJP up against major players in Salcete

MARGAO: Both Nuvem and Navelim are the most-watched constituencies in Salcete considering their political sensitivity. Nuvem is witnessing a straight fight between Marcelina Faria fielded by Goa Vikas Party (GVP) and the independent candidate Wilfred D’Sa, the bête noire of GVP supremo and rural development minister Fransisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco. Navelim is the home constituency of fisheries minister Avertano Furtado.
Sources say a close contest is on the cards in three other constituencies. In Guirdolim, Sanjana Velip (BJP) is fighting a triangular contest against Meenaxi Gaonkar who has the support of Quepem MLA Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, and Assosiana Gomes. In Davorlim, Ulhas Tuyekar, the BJP candidate, is pitted against the party rebel Satyavijay Naik, who is likely to spoil his prospects. In Curtorim, former ZP chairperson Cleaofacio Dias is in the fray with five others.
In Colva, Nelly Rodrigues who is contesting as a GVP candidate is locking horns with Joao Periera and Marcus D’Souza. In Benaulim, GVP MLA Caetano Silva has supported independent Hannibal D’Costa in defiance of his party’s decision to field candidates on party lines. Former chairperson of South Goa ZP, Maria Rebello, who enjoys the support of former PWD minister Churchill Alemao, is in the fray in Benaulim.