Margao: INDIA Alliance candidate Joseph Pimenta won Benaulim constituency zilla panchayat by-election on Monday, defeating his nearest rival by 3049 votes.
This was the first election after the recent Lok Sabha polls where opposition parties had fielded their common candidate.
AAP leader Pimenta was pitted against three Independent candidates — Royla Fernandes, a Congress rebel, Greyyfern Fernandes and Frank Fernandes.
Pimenta polled 5672 votes while his nearest rival Greyyfern Fernandes got 2623 votes, giving the winning margin of 3049 votes. Benaulim Zilla Panchayat constituency is a part of South Goa Parliamentary constituency.
Reacting to the results, AAP Goa President Amit Palekar said that this is a victory of the unity of the opposition.
“You will see this unity even in the future elections in the state which will lead to wiping out of BJP from the state,” he said.
Palekar said that all the parties including Congress, Goa Forward party, NCP (Sharad Pawar group), Shiv Sena (UBT) had supported the candidate.
