In a nail-biting finish, 2 votes push Sukhija across finish line

Panaji: The results for ward 17 of the Corporation of the City of Panaji teetered on a razor’s edge, with victory snatched by a mere two votes after multiple rounds of counting. The final tally came after an agonising 1.5 hours of drama, culminating in history for hotelier and Ami Panjikar candidate, Jack Sukhija.He defeated BJP-backed Edward Jorge by two votes. In the initial rounds of counting, Sukhija emerged victorious with a slender margin of three votes. Jorge, the BJP-backed candidate, demanded a recount. Then another. Then another. The final tally showed that Sukhija bagged 344, with a 49% vote share, with Jorge breathing down his neck with 342 votes and a 48% vote share.“It is only because the entire opposition came together that I got a chance and even then, it ran damn close,” said Sukhija.

“I knew it would be close.” After securing victory in his ward for the CCP elections, Sukhija visited the statue of his grandfather, freedom fighter, Dr Jack de Sequeira, erected at Dona Paula, to pay his respects.Sukhija said he will take the issues of casinos “head-on” and support the time-bound removal of all casinos from the Mandovi river, with a proper timeline and facilities.AAP, which fielded two candidates, celebrated its first victory in the state capital.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal congratulated Sukhija.“I am grateful to the voters for their trust. I will work to continue the legacy of my grandfather, Dr Jack de Sequeira, through dedicated service, protecting the identity of Panaji and Goa, and addressing the concerns of its citizens,” Sukhija said.