Goa, February 10: The stage is set for the Assembly Elections 2022 in Goa. The voting for Goa Assembly Election 2022 will be held on 40 constituencies in a single phase on February 14. The counting of the votes is scheduled for March 10, and by the evening, the Goa Assembly Election 2022 results will be declared.

Politics in Goa seems to be in unprecedented flux. There will be several high-octane electoral battles during the Goa Assembly Elections 2022. All eyes will be on the fierce contest between former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar, who is contesting elections as an independent candidate, and BJP's Atanasio Monserrate from Panaji. Other prominent leaders contesting the elections are Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Congress' Digambar Kamat, BJP's Manohar Ajgaonkar, GFP's Vijai Sardesai, and TMC's Luizinho Faleiro. Goa Assembly Elections 2022: From Sanquelim To Panaji Vidhan Sabha Seat; Here Are Five Key Constituencies.

Here Are Key Electoral Battles:

Utpal Parrikar vs Atanasio Monserrate: Utpal Parrikar, the son of former Union defence minister and four-time Goa CM Manohar Parrikar, decided to contest Goa Assembly Elections 2022 as an independent candidate when BJP denied him the ticket from Panaji constituency and named Atanasio Monserrate party’s officially nominated candidate. Atanasio Monserrate joined BJP in 2019.

Digambar Kamat vs Manohar Ajgaonkar: Former chief minister Digambar Kamat of Congress is pitted against tourism minister Manohar Ajagaonkar in Margao constituency. Kamat has been representing the Margao constituency since 1994, first on a BJP ticket and then as a Congress legislator after he switched sides in 2005. While, Manohar Ajagaonkar has never represented the constituency before.

Pramod Sawant vs Dharmesh Saglani: Current Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant has won the Sanquelim constituency twice in a row. He is now battling Congress candidate and councillor of Sanquelim Municipal Council (SMC) Dharmesh Saglani. The fight between these two will be the highlight of Goa Assembly Elections 2022 as Dharmesh Saglani, despite multiple attempts, has not allowed the council to slip out of his grasp, even in the by-elections, he had emerged triumphant. Goa Assembly Elections 2022: From Pramod Sawant to Amit Palekar, A Look At Probable CM Candidates in The State.

Pratapsingh Rane vs Divya Rane: The Poriem constituency will be witnessing a strange fight as the 6-time Goa CM and 10-term legislator Pratapsingh Rane will be contesting against his daughter-in-law Divya Rane, who has been named as the BJP’s candidate. Pratapsingh Rane is Goa’s longest-serving MLA representing his seat since 1972. BJP, being the ruling party in Goa offered him lifetime cabinet status so as to stop him from contesting elections.

Churchill Alemao vs Venzy Viegas: Churchill Alemao, a TMC candidate and Goa's veteran politician will contest the Benaulim constituency, giving a touch fight to AAP's Venzy Viegas. Churchill Alemao, however, declared earlier this month that the 2022 assembly elections will be his last. On the other hand, Venzy Viegas, a first-time contestant, and captain in the merchant navy, has been steadily gaining popularity in the constituency.

As per the Election Commission, Goa will have 1,722 polling stations in the elections. A total of 11,56,762 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the upcoming assembly polls.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 10, 2022 09:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).