Amit Shah arrives on one-day Goa visit ahead of Assembly polls

Panaji: Union home minister Amit Shah arrived in poll-bound Goa on Sunday for a one-day visit during which he will address public meetings and also participate in a door-to-door campaign. Shah was welcomed at the Dabolim airport by BJP’s Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadanavis, Union minister Shripad Naik, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant, BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and others. He would visit the Sai Baba temple at Borim village in South Goa before addressing a public meeting at Ponda in support of the party candidate. A senior BJP functionary said Shah would also participate in a door-to-door campaign in Sanvordem constituency after which he would address a public meeting there. Later in the evening, Shah will also attend a public meeting in Vasco. Tanavade had earlier said all the three public meetings will be held indoors with 50 per cent seating capacity and all the protocols related to COVID-19 will be followed during these events. The BJP has nominated Ravi Naik, Ganesh Gaonkar and Daji Salkar from Ponda, Sanvordem and Vasco Assembly constituencies, respectively. The party has fielded its candidates in all the 40 Assembly constituencies in Goa. The Election Commission of India had last week extended its ban on physical rallies and roadshows till January 31 in five poll-bound states, but allowed public meetings with a maximum of 500 people in the constituencies where elections will be held in the first phase. It had, however, granted a relaxation for political parties to hold indoor meetings of maximum 300 people or 50 per cent of the capacity of the hall.