Close fight between Congress, BJP in Goa; CM Parsekar loses

March 11, 2017

Panaji, Mar 11: Goa today appeared heading for a hung Assembly with ruling BJP and opposition Congress unlikely to cross the half-way mark in the 40-member House, putting the spotlight on smaller parties in government formation. As the results of 30 out of the 40 seats were out, Congress secured 11 seats followed by BJP winning 10 seats.

Regional outfits Goa Forward and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) have won three seats each. While NCP emerged victorious in one seat, Independents won two constituencies. In the remaining 10 seats, BJP and Congress are leading in four each. A Congress-backed Independent is ahead in one seat and recounting is on in another segment.

BJP had 21 seats in the outgoing House in Goa, where it came to power in 2012. The saffron party has suffered a big setback as Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar lost from Mandrem. His Cabinet colleagues Dayanand Mandrekar (Siolim) and Dilip Parulekar (Saligao) also lost.

Prominent Congress winners included former chief minister Digambar Kamat. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which entered the fray with much fanfare, failed to make any impact at the hustings.

The Goa Suraksha Manch, floated by RSS rebel Subhash Velingkar, and Shiv Sena, also failed to make any breakthrough though their alliance partner MGP romped home in three seats.

MGP had severed ties with BJP just before the February 4 polls and became part of the three-party front.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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