Most ministers in Goa defeated

Most of the ministers in the BJP-led Government headed by Laxmikant Parsekar in Goa were defeated on Saturday apart from Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar who lost his sitting seat Mandrem in the Assembly polls. Six of the eight ministers who were in the fray lost the polls to their rivals, adding to the poor performance of the BJP, which in 2012 emerged victorious in the coastal state securing a simple majority on its own. Parsekar lost to Congress candidate Dayanand Sopte in Mandrem by over 7000 votes.

The party was jolted as its senior leader and Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar lost to MGP's Asgaonkar in Pernem constituency. The Goa Forward Party dealt a double blow to the BJP as its candidates unseated two senior ministers in the outgoing cabinet.