Rupesh Samant

Shiroda, Apr 4: The assembly constituency of Shiroda which is going for by polls on April 23 has become a prestige issue of all the major political parties in the state.

The seat for Shiroda fell vacant after sitting MLA Subhash Shirodkar left Congress to join BJP in October last year necessitating elections in this constituency located in North Goa.

Shirodkar who is currently contesting on BjP ticket is fighting against Congress Mahadev Naik and MGP candidate Deepak Dhavalikar.

Dhavalikar who despite being part of Bjp led alliance had filed his nomination from this Constituency triggering his party’s differences with BJP.

The constituency with 30,000 odd voters have been a bastion of Congress till the year 2012 when for two terms BJP won.

The constituency voted for Congress candidate Subhash Shirodkar in the year 2017.

“I am approaching people with an assurance of having second phase of development,” Shirodkar said while on his campaign trail.

Shirodkar who has been MLA of this constituency for 24 years claim that it was one of the most under developed constituency when he took over.

“The basic amenities like water and electricity was lacking in this constituency. Now the situation is different,” he said.

Shirodkar who faced criticism for forcing untimely elections in the constituency claim that he did it because he knew only Bjp can bring in development.

Congress party, however, refuses to accept his excuse.

“Shirodkar has betrayed the faith of voters by forcing mid term elections. And this time the voters will react in a big way,” said Girish Chodankar, President of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee.

Chodankar was instrumental in convincing former BJP MLA from Shiroda Mahadev Naik to join Congress.

MGP candidate Deepak Dhavalikar said that he is in the fray to defeat defector Shirodkar.

“Let these leaders who force mid term elections realise that they are defeated if they play with sentiments of people,” Dhavalikar said.

He said that his party will pull a victory in this constituency.

BJP which is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it’s candidate wins by election has planned two big public meetings to be addressed by union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smruti Irani respectively in this constituency.