Despite having desperately poured those crores during the high voltage election campaign, Babush Monserrate was able to win the Panaji seat by just a mere 716 votes. While Monserrate got 6787, Utpal Parrikar polled a whopping 6071 in his maiden election. Even in the Ribandar segment out of the 3077 votes, Monserrate could only get 1426 despite his lavish spending while Utpal got a thousand votes. Of the total 30 booths in Panaji Constituency Utpal led in 13.
Monserrate could neither get that massive lead he was targeting in Panaji nor his hope that BJP would pocket all the Tiswadi seats. Babush himself has been complaining bitterly about his big disappointment with the outcome of the result blaming the BJP Karyakartas for his pathetic performance. It was a clear sign of emotional stress knowing full well that he had managed to scrape though by the skin of his teeth against a much better, cleaner independent opponent.
AAP’s Valmiki Naik had publicly declared that he would withdraw if Utpal contested but made a volte-face. Valmiki polled a total of 777 votes and if those had gone to Utpal, to everyone’s relief Babush Monserate would have been history. In Taleigao too it was no different with the 2607 votes polled by AAP candidate facilitating the victory of Jennifer Monserrate by 2041 votes over Tony Rodrigues.
Elections are fought, won and lost, May that true spirits of democracy always thrive. Politics has to be a mission of serving people. It cannot be a venture to get richer and the lust for power in the name of Personal Wealth Development (PWD).
