Panaji, Mar 7 (IANS): After Madhya Pradesh Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using tricks to wean away party MLAs, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar alleged on Saturday that similar efforts were made by the ruling BJP here to woo away its candidates for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat polls in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Chodankar said that in one case, the opposition party's candidate from the Taleigao Zilla Panchayat constituency had to be driven around in a car by party workers all through the day until the time for withdrawal of nomination ended on Saturday.

"The BJP-led government is using all its muscle to ensure that opposition candidates do not file nominations for the Zilla Panchayat polls in Goa," Chodankar said.

"Our candidate from the Taleigao constituency had to be driven around North Goa all day, until 2 p.m. which was the deadline for withdrawal of nomination on Saturday," Chodankar said, adding that his party's candidate was under pressure from the ruling BJP to withdraw from the fray.

The top state Congress official also said that the party's candidate hopefuls were under pressure to not file nominations in Zilla Panchayat constituencies in the Sattari sub-district.

In all, 8.3 lakh voters in Goa are eligible to vote in the March 22 Zilla Panchayat elections in which 50 seats are up for grabs for which 203 candidates are in the fray.