Will win Panaji by-poll with better margin: Manohar Parrikar

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday expressed confidence of winning the Panaji parliamentary by-poll with a bigger margin as there was "virtually no opposition" in the contest.

He said 98 per cent of his party's voters would be stepping out to cast their ballots. "My lead will increase," Parrikar said.

When asked about his chances of winning the Panaji assembly seat for the sixth time, he said: "I can't see any opposition."

Asked about putting in more than usual effort in the by-poll campaign, than he and the BJP had in the past, Parrikar replied: "Shouldn't one campaign?"

"There were general elections when I would campaign all over Goa. Now we are campaigning only here," Parrikar said, after casting his vote at the Masson de Amorim polling booth.

"From my side we'll get 98 per cent... Two per cent may not be able to ...for some technical, medical reason," said Parrikar, who is contesting against Girish Chodankar of the Congress and Anand Shirodkar from the Goa Suraksha Manch.

Speaking to reporters here, former RSS chief Subhash Velingkar, who is the mentor of the Goa Suraksha Manch said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh volunteers would not support Parrikar.

"RSS workers will not vote for him and our Anand Shirodkar will win this election, with a small margin," Velingkar said.