With none of the regional parties in a position to put up candidates, the field has been cleared for a straight contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the South Goa Lok Sabha by-election on October 30.

Ending weeks of political speculation over its choice of nominee, the Congress finally settled for its PCC chief Francisco Sardinha, leaving Save Goa Front (SGF) leader Churchill Alemao stranded and politically humiliated.

Mr Alemao whose SGF party provides crucial support to the Congress-led government, had lobbied for weeks for the Congress nomination for his daughter. The deal fell through when the Save Goa Front failed to merge with the Congress by the Thursday deadline.

The other coalition partner of the Congress, the NCP had also made clear that it was opposed to a nomination for Mr Alemao’s daughter. The South Goa seat fell vacant after Alemao, who is a minister in the state government, resigned to contest the assembly poll.

Mr Sardinha, a veteran of many a political contest has served as chief minister and state minister for many years and has also done a term in Parliament. His nomination has wide acceptance within the Congress and  NCP, which gives him a clear edge over the BJP nominee Wilfred Mesquita.

Dr Mesquita, till recently with the  SGF, joined the BJP on Thursday with an eye on contesting the bypoll.  As a rank outsider, his nomination has been resented by the saffron party’s loyalists.

Mesquita’s selection has much to do with the substantial Catholic vote in South Goa which the BJP has so far failed to clinch. Viewed largely as a Congress stronghold, the Congress lost this parliamentary seat to the BJP only once in the past.