The first elections to the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly were held in December 1963, to elect members of the 30 constituencies, in the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, India.
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party won the most seats (fourteen), and its leader, Dayanand Bandodkar was appointed as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu. The United Goans Party won 12 seats, three seats were won by Independents, whereas the Jawaharlal Nehru-led Indian National Congress only won one seat.
Background After the Annexation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 1954, followed by the Annexation of Goa in 1961, the new union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu was established. Later, in 1963, after the passing of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, Goa, Daman and Diu was assigned a Legislative Assembly of thirty seats.
To facilitate the upcoming election, A. F. Couto was made the Chief Electoral Officer of the union territory on 19 August 1963. The Delimitation Commission of India split up the Union territory into 30 constituencies; 28 in Goa and one each for Daman and Diu. On 3 October, it was announced that the Indian National Congress, Frente Popular and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) were allowed to have reserved electoral symbols, followed on 24 October, by the United Goans Party (UGP).
Election schedule EventDate Last Date for filing Nominations 11 November 1963 Date for scrutiny of nominations 13 November 1963 Last date for withdrawal of candidatures 16 November 1963 Date of poll9 December 1963 Date before which the election shall be completed 11 December 1963
Results
Elected members #ConstituencyMemberParty 1 Pernem Kashinath Shetgaonkar 2 Mandrem Vijay Kamulkar 3 Siolim Pandurang Purushottam Shirodkar 4 Calangute John D'Souza 5 Aldona Orlando Sequeira Lobo 6 Mapusa Raghunath Tople 7 Tivim Shambu Palienkar 8 Bicholim Kusmakar Kadkade 9 Pale A. K. S. Usgaonkar 10 Sattari Jaisingrao Rane 11 Panaji Jack Sequeira 12 Santa Cruz Joaquim L. Araujo 13 Santo Andre Teotonio Pereira 14 Sant Estevam Dattaram Chopdekar 15 Marcaim Vasant Velingkar 16 Ponda Gajanan Raikar 17 Siroda Pundalik Naik 18 Sanguem Tony Fernandes 19 Canacona Ganba Desai 20 Quepem Dattaram Desai 21 Curchorem Vittal Karmali 22 Cuncolim Sebastiao Mazarelo 23 Benaulim Maurilio Furtado 24 Navelim Alvaro de Loyola Furtado 25 Margao Vasudeo Narayan Sarmalkar 26 Curtorim Enio Pimenta 27 Cortalim Luis Proto Barbosa 28 Marmagoa Urminda Mascarenhas 29 Daman Kalidas Patel 30 Diu Mamdali Jiwani
Aftermath On 20 December 1963, Dayanand Bandodkar was sworn in as Chief Minister. His cabinet included only two other ministers, Vittal Karmali and Tony Fernandes. Jack de Sequeira, of the UGP, was the first Leader of the Opposition and Pandurang Purushottam Shirodkar was the first Speaker of the Assembly.
Since the party in government, the MGP, was in favour of merging the territory with Maharashtra, they precipitated the issue. This led to the 1967 Goa status referendum, where the voters rejected the merger and instead opted to remain a Union Territory.
Bypolls YearConstituencyReason for by-pollWinning candidateParty1964MarcaimResignation of V.C. VelingkerDayanand BandodkarSource:ECI
See also List of constituencies of the Goa Legislative Assembly
References