Panaji, April 9 (IANS): Though Goa is a tiny state, three of its Members of Parliament out of the 18 persons elected so far, got an opportunity to serve as ministers at the Centre. Two of them are now in the Lok Sabha election fray from North Goa.

Congress leader Eduardo Faleiro, then MGP leader and now a member of the Congress, advocate Ramakant Khalap, and BJP leader Shripad Naik have so far found a place at the Centre as Ministers of State. BJP leader Manohar Parrikar was Union Minister for Defence, who was not elected from Goa, but was the Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh.

Ramakant Khalap during his two-year tenure from 1996, was a Union Minister of State for Law (Independent Charge) and made major contributions in enacting the Arbitration Act of India and drafting amendments to ‘ The Code of Civil Procedure of India and ‘The Code of Criminal Procedures of India'. He had also introduced the ‘Women’s Reservation Bill’ during his tenure.

Khalap who is active in social programs, is now contesting against Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik from North Goa.

Shripad Naik is the big name in Goan politics, who has won the last five Lok Sabha elections from 1999.

Naik became a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and handled portfolios like Agriculture, Civil Aviation, Shipping and Road Transport & Highways.

When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister for the first time in 2014, Naik was given independent charge of AYUSH, and was minister of state for Culture and Tourism. During the second term of the Modi government, Naik again became a Minister of State.

Speaking to IANS, Goa journalist Prakash Kurdikar said that it is always a proud moment for the people of the state when their MPs find a place at the Centre.

“Congress MP Eduardo Faleiro was a very good orator in the Lok Sabha. Before being elected as MP, he was a four-time MLA from Curtorim constituency,” Kurdikar said.

According to him, when Faleiro got elected as a MP in 1977, he was in the opposition as the Janata Party was ruling then. “During Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister, Faleiro was Minister of State for External Affairs,” he said.

“As a foreign minister, he played a vital role in bringing back gold deposited in a Portuguese bank in Panaji in Goa, which was taken over when the state was liberated. He negotiated with Portugal and got back the gold” Kurdikar said.

He said that the contribution of Ramakant Khalap as a law minister was also appreciated by the country.

Ramakant Khalap had won the Lok Sabha election from North Goa in 1996, while Shripad Naik won the North seat for the last five consecutive times.

Both the leaders have started their election campaign and are meeting the voters.