77 out of 301 candidates in fray lose deposits: ADR

The results are out and the wait is for swearing ceremony of the new Chief Minister and his Cabinet. Also, people are eagerly waiting to see the new Cabinet and who becomes a minister. Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO which is following Goa politics from very close quarters has come out with their report ‘Know Our New MLAs’ soon after the declaration of the results. Team Herald digs in the report to ferret out the background of the newly elected Legislators to Goa State Assembly

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report released on Saturday after the results of the Goa State Assembly elections 2022 revealed that out of 301 candidates in fray 77 nearly 25.58 per cent of the contesting candidates got less votes than None of the Above (NOTA). 

About 190 candidates lost their deposits which included about three sitting MLAs. Among those who lost their deposits include BJP (4/40), AAP (35/39), INC (10/37), GFP (1/3), MGP (7/13), TMC (21/26), NCP (12/13), Shiv Sena (9/11) and Revolutionary Goans (31/38). The vote share of BJP stood at 33.3 per cent, and for the first time the gap of vote share with Congress stood at nearly 10 per cent. Congress garnered about 23.5 per cent of vote share. 

The report added that 40 per cent which is 16 of the 40 winning candidates have criminal cases against them. Out of these 16, 13 that is about 33 per cent of the total 40, candidates have declared serious criminal cases in the last Assembly elections in 2017, the figure stood as 23 per cent which are nine candidates. Out of 40 MLAs analysed during Goa Assembly elections in 2017, 6 that is 15 per cent, MLAs had declared serious criminal cases against them.

As far as money power is concerned in Goa out of 301 candidates 187 candidates which are 62 per cent are ‘crorepatis’. Except one winner from Revolutionary Goans Party, who is not a ‘crorepati’, all the other winners from BJP, INC, MGP, AAP, Goa Forward Party and 3 Independent winning candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. The average of assets per winning candidates in the recent Assembly elections is Rs 20.16 crore, while in 2017 it was Rs 10.9 crore. 

According to the ADR report, 7.5 per cent that is three women candidates won in the Assembly of 40 and all these are spouses of politicians. 

The report said that 13, which is 33 per cent of the winning candidates declared their educational qualification to be between Class VIII and XII pass, while 21 that is 53 per cent, winning candidates declared having education qualification of graduate and above. There are six winning candidates who are Diploma holders. 

As compared to 2017 elections, in 2022, 12 candidates of BJP were re-elected as against two of Congress and one each from Goa Forward Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and an Independent.