Heavyweights join candidates on campaign trail
PANAJI
The election to the 30 wards of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), slated for March 11, has attracted State-level political heavyweights joining candidates on the campaign trail.
Door‑to‑door visits have become the stage for high‑profile appearances, underscoring the intensity of the contest.
While Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate joined candidates of his panel to drum up support in the campaign from Saturday last, earlier in that week, Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes, AAP’s Benaulim MLA Captain Venzy Viegas, and AAP State president Valmiki Naik created a flutter in Fontainhas.
The quartet accompanied Ward 17 candidate Jack Sukhija, scion of the Dr Jack de Sequeira family, in visits to homes.
Sukhija’s presence in the fray has triggered a buzz across the city's and State's social circles and on social media. He faces a direct contest with Edward Jorge, a two‑time councillor from the BJP‑backed Monserrate panel.
The contest in this Ward 17, covering Fontainhas, Alto‑Guimaraes, and Altinho, has generated immense interest and become one of the most closely watched battles.
Utpal Parrikar, son of former Defence Minister and Goa Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, has also drawn eyeballs with his campaigning for some candidates of the Ami Panjekar panel.
Elsewhere in other wards this CCP poll, often framed as a Monserrate versus Parrikar showdown, is also turning into a spectacle of head‑on contests between civic veterans.
Former mayor Surendra Furtado, a seven‑term councillor, is locked in a direct fight with ex‑deputy mayor Kabhir Pinto Makhija in Ward 9. The ward, covering parts of the city market area, Campal, and Miramar, has a history of Furtado versus Pinto Makhija rivalry. In 2021, Ruth Furtado had defeated Soraya Pinto Makhija in a stiff contest.
Goa State Congress president, Amit Patkar, also got down to door-to-door campaigning alongwith Furtado.
Ward 6 in Tonca-Miramar will see Dr Sheetal Naik of the Ami Panjekar panel return after a break. A former BJP State Mahila president, Naik faces Babush Monserrate loyalist Bento Lorena, who chaired the Market Committee in the outgoing council.
Another keen contest is in Ward 13, where former mayor Uday Madkaikar faces Nilkant Chari of Ami Panjekar. Chari had lost narrowly in 2021 by just 17 votes, making this a significant battle against Madkaikar, for whom this is new turf and adjacent to his traditional Chicolnem ward.
Mayor Rohit Monserrate, who was otherwise expected to sail through in Ward 4, Caranzalem, now faces a surprise challenge with the late entry of former councillor Agnelo Silveira.
Silveira, who had contested the Taleigao assembly election in 2007 on a BJP ticket, remains a popular figure. John Po of Ami Panjekar is also in the fray here, turning the contest in the ward into a three‑cornered one.
Observers note that several wards feature similar one‑to‑one battles among former mayors and multiple‑term councillors. These contests add depth to the civic polls, which are otherwise dominated by the Monserrate versus Parrikar narrative.
The presence of these seasoned veterans ensures that the election is not only about political alignments but also about the survival of Panaji’s civic satraps.
With polling day approaching, the campaign has shifted into high gear. Door‑to‑door visits, social media buzz, and the entry of political bigwigs have heightened interest.
For residents, however, the focus remains on whether the new council will address pressing civic concerns — traffic congestion, parking chaos, waste management, and stalled Smart City works.
The verdict on March 11 will decide not just winners in individual wards but also the balance of power in Panaji’s civic body, setting the tone for the city’s governance in the years ahead.
