GOACOM DAILY NEWS CLIPPINGS 14 May 2004 GOACOM VIDEO NEWSCAST at http://www.goacom.com/news goacomNews12 May 04 H I G H L I G H T S * People gear up for counting * Kala Academy to get facelift for IFFI * Govt. starts preparation for St. Francis Xavier exposition * Postal department recruitment causes controversy.
GoaNOW Webzine at: http://www.goacom.com/goanow CHURCHILL SWEEPS SALCETE: South Goa Congress candidate Churchill Alemao romps home against his nearest rival BJP candidate Ramakant Angle by a whopping victory margin of 50,524. Churchill took a lead in as many as 15 out of the 21 assembly segments of South Goa and the remaining six assembly constituencies BJP candidate managed to secure leads. (GT) SHRIPAD RETAINS N GOA: Union Minister of State for Finance created history by winning the Panaji seat for the second time in the more volatile of the State's two Parliamentary constituencies with a record of throwing up a new face in every Lok Sabha election. Naik, who polled 1,44,842 votes defeated his nearest rival NCP's Dr Wilfred de Souza by a margin of 56,213 votes. Dr de Souza polled, 88,629 votes. (GT) IS INSTABILITY BACK IN STATE? With the NDA losing power at the Centre, is Goa going to witness another round of political instability? If talks making rounds in political circles are to be believed, then the possibility of a new dispensation making a bid for power cannot be ruled out in the near future. In fact, the NCP candidate for North Goa, Dr Wilfred de Souza who had been a witness of many a political surgeries, says the Parrikar government will fall soon. He said there would be serious repercussions on local politics now that the NDA has lost power at the Centre. (H) SALCETTE BACKED CONG TO THE HILT: Salcete rallied strongly behind the Congress to give Churchill Alemao a clear-cut win in South Goa, but the party this time made significant gains in other talukas as well, contributing to the landslide victory. The party's presence was felt not only in Salcete, but in the talukas of Mormugao, Ponda, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona. No doubt, Salcete gave a massive lead of 45,977 votes to the Congress, more than double registered in the last hustings. (Guilherme Almeida in Herald) MICKKY, NERI MAKE NO DIFFERENCE: When Salcete gave an unprecedented and massive 45,977 vote lead for the Congress, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's "Mission Salcete" and the covert and overt support by the two ministers-Mickky Pacheco and Filipe Neri Rodrigues-for the BJP, came in for close scrutiny. (H) I AM HAPPY WITH PERFORMANCE: CM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar admitted that the BJP could not reach out to sufficient number of people in South Goa, though it had surged ahead with 18,000 more votes this time in the state, of which 8,000 votes came from South Goa constituencies including from the Salcete bastion of the Congress. (GT) ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE FAILS: In perhaps the first time, an Electronic Voting Machine in respect of a booth in Velim segment failed to show the tally of votes polled by the candidates. When the EVM pertaining to GPS Baradi-where the overall polling was put at 430 votes-was taken up for counting, it failed to show the votes polled. Officials said such a phenomenon could occur only if someone hit the "clear" button on the EVM, which automatically deletes the tally. And, no one could throw light whether the incident was a result of human error or a technical snag. (H) CM SHOULD QUIT: LUIZINHO: GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro yesterday predicted that the Manohar Parrikar-led government will not survive for more than 10 days in office as the people have rejected the dictatorial rule through their mandate to south Goa Congress MP elect. He said all this time the BJP has been ruling the State without a clear mandate of the Goan people and a movement has already been started by the electorate to rid Goa of BJP rule. (GT) CENTRE CHANGE WON'T AFFECT IFFI: CM: The Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar asserted on May 13 that there would be no change in the hosting of International Film Festival of India in November-December this year in Goa irrespective of who forms the government at the Centre. "I don't think the new dispensation at the Centre will change the decision," Mr Parrikar said to a question on the fate of IFFI in Goa. He, however, assured that in the event of any hitch, Goa government was capable of delivering. (H) BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR CHURCHILL: The victory in the Lok Sabha elections has come as a birthday gift for Churchill Alemao who turns 55 on Sunday 16 May. However, Congress sources said that Churchill may not be here to celebrate the birthday as he is likely to rush to New Delhi tomorrow to attend the meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party. (GT) MAN DROWNS OFF CALANGUTE BEACH: Laxman Soma Kerkar, a 65-year-old person from Ravan-Keri in Sattari, who had come for annual bath at Calangute, died of drowning off Calangute beach on May 13 morning. (NT) PM QUITS; NDA VOTED OUT OF POWER: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday met President APJ Abdul Kalam to hand over his resignation. He will be the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said yesterday.In a stunning electoral verdict, the BJP-led NDA was yesterday voted out of power to pave the way for the return of the Congress Party at the helm of the national affairs after eight years in wilderness. The Congress and its allies such as DMK, MDMK, PMK, TRS and RJD appeared set to capture approximately 225 seats which could mean that the alliance led by it could reach the magic majority of 270 with the help of the left parties, who have done extremely well and may get up to 50 seats. (PTI report in GT) GIRL RAPED: A 21-year-old girl from Raigini, Bandora, was allegedly raped repeatedly for nearly a year. The girl is now pregnant and the boy refuses to marry her. The police had arrested the accused, one Sushant Bandodkar (21), staying in the same ward but released him on anticipatory bail. (NT) CAUTION ON REFORMS: While the stock markets are rejoicing that a stable government has been formed at the center, the political parties that have won should heed the voters and consider the reforms with care. One of the reasons for the anti-incumbency vote was the fact that economic benefits failed to reach the hundreds of millions living in crushing poverty in rural India, where electricity, jobs and clean water are still luxuries. (Edit in Herald) THOU SHALT NOT MOCK THE POOR & THE MEEK: When they said "India Shining" did they care to ask who was shining? Now we have the people's verdict that they did not care. So they have been cast aside. Cornered during the campaign, Advani had admitted, "Farmers are not shining." Vajpayee to conceded, "Entire India is not shining." So why in the first place did the BJP launch the "India Shining" media blitz at the cost of taxpayer money, that has cost them so dearly? Our contention is that the BJP bigwigs, who masterminded the image-making exercises, obsessed with technological connectivity, had over the year become disconnected from human reality and believed what their media managers and surveyors told them. (Edit in GT) REBELLION OF THE AVC GAONCARS: On 24 November 1683, Sambhaji captured the fortress of Jua-the island of Santo Estevao. According to Khando Balla, secretary of Sambhaji, "the Marathas would have taken Goa had it not been for the deep river, for Neptune saved the fate of the Portuguese in Goa". On 26 November, Sambhaji raised the siege and hurriedly abandoned Santo Estevao on learning that the Moghul army commanded by Prince Shah Alam was heading towards Goa through Adil Shah's territory. (Luis de Assis Correia in GT) STROKES AT BOA ARTE: Goascapes in Brushtrokes, a painting exhibition by Rajesh Salgaonkar, will be inaugurated at Boa Arte, The House of Art, near Municipal Garden, Panjim, on May 14 at 6 pm. S P O R T S ST SAVIO EMERGE CHAMPIONS: St Savio SC, Calangute, defeated Maina-Curtorim 4-2 via tie-breaker to emerge champions in the holy Cross football tournament organised by Hole Cross SC at Vodlemoll grounds, Kakoda, recently. (GT) D E A T H S 13 May: Paroda: LUIS MINGUEL TEREZA (Ex-Sarpanch): husband of Agnela, father of Simon/Alinda, Serres/Norma, Roy/Julie. G O A W E A T H E R Max Temp: 32.8 deg C; Min Temp: 26.0 deg C; Humidity: 85% (Official figures for yesterday) Rainfall so far: 22.0 mm Weather: The morning took off with a light shower. A cloudy day. Courtesy: H=Herald; NT=The Navhind Times; GT=Gomantak Times; WE=WeekEnder JOEL D'SOUZA, Assagao-Goa-India. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
