Goa By-Elections and Vacancies Since 2022: Ponda, Taleigao and Defections
No by-election has been completed in Goa since 2022. Ponda's April 2026 by-poll was quashed by the High Court and Taleigao is also vacant. Dates, rulings
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Goa’s 8th Assembly was elected in February 2022 and the sources we reviewed record no by-election completed since. Two seats are vacant, both held by the BJP: Ponda, after Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik died on 15 October 2025, and Taleigao, after Jennifer Monserrate died in July 2026. The Election Commission scheduled a Ponda by-poll for 9 April 2026, but the Bombay High Court at Goa quashed the notification a day earlier, ruling that less than a year of the term remained. This page tracks the vacancies, the court ruling and the September 2022 defections that reshaped the House.
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No Goa by-election has been completed since 2022. Ponda has been vacant since Ravi Naik’s death on 15 October 2025, and its 9 April 2026 by-poll was cancelled after the Bombay High Court at Goa held that under a year of the term remained. Taleigao has been vacant since Jennifer Monserrate died in July 2026. The Assembly’s term is reported to end on 14 March 2027, and the BJP holds 26 of the 38 filled seats.
What to Know About the Vacancies
- Ponda: vacant since 15 October 2025, when Ravi Naik, the Agriculture Minister, died of a cardiac arrest, per The Goan.
- By-poll cancelled: the Commission fixed polling for 9 April 2026 and counting for 4 May; the High Court quashed the notification on 8 April and the Commission withdrew it the same day.
- Taleigao: vacant since Jennifer Monserrate, who won in 2022 by 2,041 votes, died around 19 July 2026.
- Defections: eight of Congress’s 11 MLAs joined the BJP on 14 September 2022, lifting it from 20 to 28.
- No pending poll: reports expect both seats to stay empty until the 2027 election.
The Two Vacant Seats
Both seats were won by the BJP in 2022.
| Seat | Last MLA | Vacant since | 2022 margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponda (21) | Ravi Naik (BJP) | 15 Oct 2025 (death) | 77 votes over the MGP |
| Taleigao (12) | Jennifer Monserrate (BJP) | About 19 Jul 2026 (death, reported 20 Jul) | 2,041 votes over Congress |
The Goan reported on 20 July 2026 that the BJP had lost a second sitting MLA in ten months, that its strength had fallen to 26, and that Ponda and Taleigao were expected to stay without elected representatives until the 2027 polls. Naik’s cabinet berth was reported unfilled. Ponda’s electorate fell from 32,157 in 2022 to 27,927 after the Special Intensive Revision, according to The Goan.
The Ponda By-Poll That Was Cancelled
8
High Court quashes the Ponda by-election
What happened: The Bombay High Court at Goa, in a plea by two Ponda voters named by Newsonair as Pritam Harmalkar and Ankita Kamat, set aside the Commission’s notification hours before voting. It accepted that the law makes an exception where a vacancy has less than a year left in the term, which for a term ending 14 March 2027 meant about ten months. The Commission had argued the period should be counted from the October 2025 vacancy, when more than a year remained. The Commission issued a fresh notification rescinding its order the same day.
Why it matters: The seat stays vacant unless the Commission issues a new notification after complying with the court’s directions. The reports we reviewed mention no appeal.
15
Commission announces Ponda by-poll
What happened: The Election Commission fixed polling for 9 April 2026 and counting for 4 May, with nominations from 16 to 23 March and withdrawal by 26 March. Candidates were the BJP’s Ritesh Naik (Ravi Naik’s son), Congress’s Ketan Bhatikar and the AAP’s Geetesh Naik.
Why it matters: Would have been the first Assembly by-election since 2022.
15
Ravi Naik dies
What happened: Ponda MLA and Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, a former Chief Minister, died after a sudden cardiac arrest, according to The Goan.
Why it matters: Opened the first vacancy of the term.
Defections That Reshaped the House
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep 2022 | Eight Congress MLAs join the BJP: Delilah Lobo (Siolim), Kedar Naik (Saligao), Michael Lobo (Calangute), Rodolfo Fernandes (St. Cruz), Rajesh Faldessai (Cumbarjua), Sankalp Amonkar (Mormugao), Aleixo Sequeira (Nuvem), Digambar Kamat (Margao) | Wikipedia, citing Indian Express, News18, Times of India |
| 25 Sep 2025 | Ganesh Gaonkar (BJP, Sanvordem) becomes Speaker | Wikipedia, 8th Goa Assembly |
| 15 Oct 2025 | Ravi Naik (BJP, Ponda) dies | The Goan |
| About 19 Jul 2026 | Jennifer Monserrate (BJP, Taleigao) dies | The Goan |
After 14 September 2022 Wikipedia’s composition shows BJP 28, MGP 2, independents 3, Congress 3, AAP 2, GFP 1 and RGP 1. With the two deaths, the BJP holds 26 of the 38 sitting seats; the NDA side also counts the MGP’s 2 and 3 independents. Congress is left with 3 MLAs, whose leader Yuri Alemao is Leader of the Opposition.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Reporting and data used in this story.
- Wikipedia: 8th Goa Assembly
- IndiaVotes: Goa Vidhan Sabha 2022
- The Goan: ECI announces Ponda by-poll on April 9, counting on May 4 (15 Mar 2026)
- Goemkarponn: High Court cancels Ponda by-election hours before poll (8 Apr 2026)
- Lokmat Times (IANS): ECI cancels Ponda bye-poll after HC order (8 Apr 2026)
- Newsonair: Bombay HC bench at Goa quashes notification for Ponda by-election (8 Apr 2026)
- The Goan: Ponda by-poll, battle lines drawn; Opposition divided (20 Mar 2026)
- The Goan: BJP loses second sitting MLA in 10 months (20 Jul 2026)
Update History
- November 8, 2026: first version. Updated if a by-election is notified or another seat falls vacant.